Seasons
by Rusala
Summary: Modern Day AU. 2 year time skip-ish appearances. College setting Nami disappears for 2 years without saying anything to her nakama. Robin barely knows Nami's situation. What happens when she meets back up with her nakama for college? What happens when she meets Sanji? Romance/Hurt/Comfort/Humor Rated 'M' for future chapters and language. Please read and review. I take criticism too
1. Prologue

**I do not own onepiece!**  
**Eiichiro Oda own's one piece!**

I know the characters seem too OOC but I don't care.

* * *

Five in the morning was too early to be moving, but this was the cheapest time slot the moving company offered. Nami sighed as she took a final look around the empty room. She walked into what was her kitchen as she glided her fingers across the wall. She made her way to the back door of the empty kitchen and stopped to gaze upon a certain spot. On the wall, next to the back door frame, were many horizontal marks of height measurements with initials reading either 'NA' or 'NO'. She smiled softly and lingered in that spot reminiscing. She was going to leave behind so many precious memories that were made in this house.

She quickly exited the kitchen and made her way upstairs checking each room, hoping she didn't forget anything. At the end of the hall she entered the last room on her left which was her room. The walls were a pale orange with cream colored trimmings along the ceiling and floor. Unsettled dust drifted slowly in the morning's light that was slowly beginning to warm the room. She never had the opportunity to see her room light up each morning. Each morning she woke up with her room screaming into her eyes, 'GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE!' from how bright the walls became against the morning sun. But seeing her room slowly fill with light made her appreciate how calming and cozy her room really was. "You never really appreciate things until you're about to leave them…"

"Miss Nami, it's about time we head out if you're planning to keep the special offer! If we're late then that's an extra charge for you!" said the old man.

"Oh yea that's right…" she muttered. She hired a moving company to help her with her things since she was heading off to college. Graduating from high school just three weeks ago, she was more than ready to start her life as a university student. She sold everything in the house that didn't belong to her to pay for the moving van and the labor. She made her way down to the front entrance and locked the door behind her. She was going to miss her home. She took a deep inhale and turned on her heels towards the moving van.

* * *

The drive was long. She said nothing to the old man and he did the same. He gave her the quiet she needed as he noticed her deep in thought. She could faintly hear the radio as her thoughts wandered about. Mainly focusing on her high school life. She thought about her friends and how she left them without a word. How long had it been? Two years? Only her best friend Robin barely knew about her situation, but was sworn to utmost secrecy. She felt guilty about disappearing. She felt upset at herself for not saying a word to anyone and guilty again for making Robin pretend to be in the dark with everyone else. And most of all, she felt regret that she couldn't tell the guy she loved her true feelings. She had too much pride to say anything. Not only was he a flirt but he was too nice. She didn't want him to think she was looking for his comfort during her time of need. She didn't want his pity, but his love. Seeing as though he was an absolute flirt, she decided against involving herself with him and, much to her dismay, kept it to herself.

She was glad she called Robin by the payphone a while back. She had asked Nami to be her roommate for school. How Robin knew that they were accepted to the same school was beyond Nami, but she was appreciative to Robin. She couldn't thank her enough for all that she has done. Nami gazed out of the moving van's window and noticed the university she would be attending for the next four years. It was massive. It looked like it's own city due to how massive it was. She could see a good amount of students strutting off towards class or the dorms. It was the ending of Spring semester so she could tell by the looks of their faces just how busy or stressed they were. Nami's classes didn't start until the beginning of Summer along with Robin's so she had time to look for a job and get to know the city.

The van finally came to a stop and there she saw Robin, standing outside of her apartment striking a conversation with the men from the first moving van. Because of how cheap the company was, they used two, overly small, moving vans. As the van finally came to a stop she slowly climbed down from the van and sheepishly walked towards Robin. Robin turned around immediately and Nami could see the complete difference in her friend. Her short hair was now long enough to waist. Her once before tanned skin was now a creamy, milky color. Those wise, deep, teal eyes which could look into your very soul had an even more softened expression, almost motherly. _'Has it really been that long since I've seen Robin?' _Nami thought.

A soft smile played across Robin's lips as she saw Nami. She was glad to see that he best friend was alive and healthy looking. Smooth, creamy skin, with long beautiful orange locks. Robin was glad to see Nami's new look. But over all, she was just glad to see Nami healthy. For the past two years, she worried about Nami constantly. Only hearing from her once every 3 months tugged at her heart.

Nami was finally standing in front of Robin and a smile made its way to her face. Nami suddenly felt a slight stinging in the corner of her eyes. "It's been a while Robin." She laughed as tears began to trickle alongside her cheeks. Nami was overjoyed seeing her best friend that it brought herself to tears. Robin simply smiled and gave her a warm hug. Nami's first instinct was to hug back and that she did. Robin started to pat the top of her head. She knew better than anyone what went through Nami's head. She wasn't her best friend for nothing. She knew how glad Nami was. She could only have guessed just how alone Nami might have felt those past two years. Robin couldn't do a thing because she was respecting Nami's wishes. After a moment of silent crying in her best friend's arms, Nami let go of Robin and looked at her. Robin only smiled at Nami and said, "Let's help the movers get your things inside. After we're done I'll make some coffee."It was a long and tiring day moving her boxes into the living room. Nami had yet to move her things into her room because shortly after the men left, Robin insisted that she and Nami 'catch' up.

* * *

"Nami, it's been two years since we all saw you. Hearing from you once every three months was not ideal. I respect your privacy but what have you been doing these past two years?" Robin sipped her coffee and gave Nami the look she couldn't fight against. It was that look of caring and understanding, but of worry and compassion.

Nami sipped her coffee and sighed. She didn't meet Robin's eyes and gathered her thoughts for a bit. Robin knew she must have had a hard time and didn't rush Nami. She was always patient like that.

Nami finally lifted her gaze to Robin. "After Bellemere and Nojiko's death the school allowed me to finish up my sophomore year with you guys. I couldn't pay for the amenities for the next two years of school so I spoke with the dean and the guidance counselor. They offered a home school program to me because of my situation. I still had to pay but it was so much cheaper to get my education that way. I picked up two full time jobs and any extra part time jobs I could. I canceled my cell phone plan, the cable, the internet, and the home phone. I did what I could to save money. I know Luffy has been over to my house because there were some dents from what I assume was him pounding on my door." She paused a bit to collect her thoughts again.

"I practically lived at my jobs and I was barely home. My managers were very understanding of my situation and let me stay after hours to finish my school work or sleep over." She sipped her coffee some more and continued. "My hair is only long because I refused to spend money to cut my hair. Anything to save some money right?" she laughed out.

Robin maintained her composure but her heart dropped completely. Her best friend went through so much and she had no idea. Robin was about to say something when Nami saw her and cut her off before anything could be said. "It's not your fault. It's no one's fault. Don't feel bad about it. I didn't want to worry anyone or be a burden. Look at it this way, I'm alive, I survived, and I'm here." She gave Robin her biggest and best smile and Robin could only sigh in agreement. She couldn't argue with Nami when she made up her mind had.

Robin finished her coffee and looked at Nami once more. She went through so much but pulled through. She knew her best friend was strong, but after hearing her story, she had too much respect for Nami. She smiled and rested her cheek in her right palm as her elbow relaxed on the table. "Nami, next time you need something, or if you're in trouble, don't you dare ignore me or anyone else in the gang."

Nami exhaled a bit seeing that smile on Robin's face. It was that smile of threat and being over protective. Nami somewhat feared that smile. It had untold wonders of completely reassuring someone or completely scaring them away. This smile had the right intensity to tell Nami that she shouldn't ignore her friends again. Speaking of her friends. "Robin, what did you mean by 'anyone else in the gang?"

Robin gave her a confused look. "What do you mean? We've been waiting for you for two years Nami. Just because you left without a word doesn't mean you're not our friend. Luffy was absolutely upset he wasn't able to at least run into you once, which I do say I'm impressed. East Blue is a small town and so is Grand Line. One way or another any one of us could have ran into you but didn't. It really felt like you disappeared off of the face of the earth."

"How mad would you say Luffy was?" Nami laughed nervously.

"Oh Nami you didn't hear? He went missing for about two weeks looking for you. Sanji and Zoro were just as worried about you and accompanied him. Ussop, Franky, Brook, and Chopper stayed behind and waited for you at school. I stayed at school with everyone else but it was hard keeping everything to myself Nami. During those two weeks the guys were missing they were eventually caught by Luffy's grandfather, who you know is the chief of police. They were put under police watch for about three months." Robin laughed.

Nami was shocked. Had her disappearance really caused that much trouble for everyone? She looked at Robin with worry creeping its way into her face and Robin noticed. She only sighed at Nami and continued. "You shouldn't be making that face. You know how those guys are and you know how they can get. Nami, none of it was your fault so don't think that. I know you're wondering about the trouble you caused for everyone and you can stop right there."

Nami looked down at her now empty coffee mug and thought a bit. It wasn't long after that Nami began to blush a bit. She heard her say Sanji was worried. She looked at Robin quick and Robin gave her a knowing smile. "Some things haven't changed over these two years have they?" Robin laughed out. Nami wanted to ask about Sanji really badly. She finally gulped the last of her coffee and sheepishly asked Robin, "So…um, how is…Sanji?"


	2. Say something

RECAP!

Nami wanted to ask about Sanji really badly. She finally gulped the last of her coffee and sheepishly asked Robin, "So…um, how is…Sanji?"

* * *

Those words left her lips sheepishly but she tried to sound as norm and uninterested as possible. Robin knew where Nami was going with this conversation. She knew Nami still held the same adoration towards Sanji, but refused to be up front about it. Nami was a stubborn girl unless it involved money, discounts, or free stuff. Robin stood up and extended her hand motioning towards Nami's empty coffee cup and headed to the sink. "Sanji has been good. He hasn't changed much. He has a bit of a goatee and has grown in height. Ah, he parts his hair from the other side now. Ah speaking of which, his hair, how should I say, is a bit sexier if I do say so myself." Robin said with a slight chuckle. "It's still slightly long but it's a bit more layered now. You'll have to see it for yourself."

Nami tried to imagine Sanji as best as she could, but she had no luck. She was about to ask if Robin had a photo until Robin continued to speak, "Ah yes, Nami, I should tell you this now before anything else." Her voice sounded a little unsure.

_'Please don't say you're going out with Sanji… please don't say that.'_ Nami's heart chanted.

"I'm going out with…" Robin hesitated and her face seemed flush slightly.

'_Here it comes…'_ Nami had to brace herself.

"Zoro…" Robin looked at Nami, trying to read her expression.

Nami could only blink and then exhale in relief and chuckle at herself for thinking about Robin and Sanji being romantically involved. The thought didn't seem impossible. Robin has always been beautiful and now she's passed that beautiful bar. If she wanted, she could have any guy she wanted. Nami was just thankful that it wasn't Sanji.

"Nami? …Nami?" Robin called. Nami looked back at Robin and gave her a big smile. Her chocolate orbs shining with excitement. Robin took this as a good sign and finally let out the breathe she had been holding. Nami stood up and walked over to Robin who was now drying her hands with a dishtowel and gave her the biggest hug she could give."Way to go Robin! So, what's it like sleeping with him?" Nami's smile had turned mischievous. Robin had to blink in realization of what she was being asked and let out slight giggle.

"Nami, you know its not polite to kiss and tell." A sly smile made its way onto Robins face. They both began to laugh and Robin had motioned Nami to follow her. "I still haven't given you a tour of the place."

They walked out of the open kitchen and back into the living room. Nami got to take a better look of the living room. It was pretty spacious with a black 'L' shaped couch, a plasma screen TV sitting on top of a wooden entertainment center, and a coffee table in the widest part of the living room. On either sides of the TV were two grand, cherry wood book shelves. Nami was shocked to see just how many books were already there.

To the left of the living room was a small balcony that faced out towards the road of the neighborhood. Sitting there were two folding chairs and a small, round table which Nami assumed Robin used when it was nice and sunny to read outside. They exited the living room into the main hallway from the main entrance. When first walking into the apartment, there was a door to your left and that was obviously the coat closet. Further down the hall were four more doors passing the entrance of the living room.

The first door on the left was a spare bathroom equipped with a shower attached to a tub. It was a simple bathroom with linoleum floor tiles and light blue walls.

The next door on the left was the laundry room with a washer, dryer, sink, and a window. Again, a very simple room but Nami wasn't complaining. The appliances in there were brand new with a dark red paint job that was sleek and smooth. Nami felt appreciative toward the appliances. For the past two years Nami had made it a point to hand wash all of her clothes and hang dry them to save on water and electricity. They made their way further down the hall and Robin pointed the last two doors at the end of the hall. Clearly one of them led to Robin's room and the other to Nami's.

"The room on the left is mine and this here on the right will be yours." Robin said as she made her way to the only door on the right side of the hallway. Entering and turning on the light switch against the wall, Nami followed after her like a baby duckling following it's mother. This room was way to spacious. Nami gave a look of confusion towards Robin. The question had been eating away at Nami for the longest time. "Robin, this place is too nice for college students like us. How did you manage to get this place? New appliance, spacious living room, spacious bed rooms…"

Nami was suddenly cut off when Robin stated, "Don't forget bathrooms in each room and a walk in closet." with a smile on her face.

Nami was shocked. "Robin, this place is too good to be true. Did you sleep with the landlord or something?"

Robin began to chuckle at Nami. "No Nami, the owner is a good friend of my family. He's a very big hearted man."

Nami walked further into her new bedroom and noticed the smell of freshly dried paint. The walls were a soft yellow with white trimmings along the floor and ceiling. Nami felt a bit at home. Although she hated how the bright colors reflected against the sun in the morning she had become to appreciate the color now. Sure this place wasn't filled with the sounds and smells she grew up with but she very much felt at home. At ease even.

Robin turned around to see a smile on Nami's face and before she could say anything she was attacked with a big hug. "I'm glad you like it Nami." She said as the air left her body from Nami's embrace.

"Robin I can't thank you enough! I promise I'll be well behaved!" Nami squealed in joy. "Nami, you don't have to be well behaved." Robin chuckled. "All I ask is that you knock before entering my room and split the chores with me. Oh and of course pay your end of the rent" she laughed out loud.

* * *

It had been three weeks since Nami moved in with Robin. They spent most of their time catching up and doing things best friends normally do; shop, gossip, and shop some more. School would be starting in just a week from now, and Nami got all her essentials for her first semester.

They sat in a coffee shop nearby their apartment and Robin was the first to say something."Nami, I haven't told you about what to expect soon." Hearing the slight concern in her best friend's tone she looked at her and gave her, her undivided attention.  
"Nami, you know that Zoro and I are going out. Well, Zoro made it into the same college as us. We'll be seeing more of each other and I haven't told the others that you're my roommate just yet. I didn't say anything because I was still respecting your wishes and privacy. I thought we could talk about it today."

Nami wasn't surprised or upset. She gave her best friend a reassuring smile. She knew this conversation was going to come sooner or later. She began to sip her coffee that she had ordered when Robin suddenly blurted out, "Actually, everyone made it into the same university." Nami suddenly choked a bit on her coffee and was coughing slightly.

"Ehhh! Really? Even Luffy? I love Luffy but are you serious?" Robin only chuckled and gave her a nod. They both knew Luffy wasn't the smartest guy in the world. Neither was Zorro or Brook but they managed to get in. Then it dawned on Nami, "Robin, there are special programs right? I can figure that Brook got in on a music scholarship. Luffy could have gotten in on an athletic scholarship and so could Zoro. I'm also assuming you tutored them to pass high school."

Robin laughed. "Still as sharp as ever Nami. I'll admit my methods were a bit harsh but they passed and made it out alive. Chopper is very young but he made it into the medical program. Actually I have an article that I saved back at the apartment. 'Child Prodigy For The Hopes Of Medicine'."

"What about Ussop and Franky? And Sanji?" Nami questioned.

"Ussop and Franky made it into the architecture program and they both plan on double majoring with mechanics. It's pretty obvious Sanji was smart enough to get in without needing a spotlight program. He wanted a low profile but he was begged to join the culinary program as well as the business program. The university's soccer team even approached him on a full scholarship if he played soccer."

Nami felt so proud of her friends. She knew they could amount to great things. She felt a bit 'big-headed' thinking that she was friends with amazing people. She knew Robin was on a full paid scholarship for Anthropology and Archeology as well as History. Nami began to giggle and suddenly eye her coffee like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"What's so funny?" Robin mused.

"Just thinking about how I'm friends with really impressive people. I feel like boasting about myself too." She grinned.

"Nami you should be boasting about yourself. Not many people have the Astronomy, Physical Science (Cartography), Atmospheric Science (Weather), and Business departments fighting over them. Aren't you on a scholarship?" Robin mused.

"Um, yea. The Physical Science department is paying for everything as well as the old goats from the Atmospheric Science department. I'm pretty sure I'm double majoring in these two fields. I tell you though, I don't know why its nothing but old men on the board of trustees for Atmospheric Science. Sometimes I wonder if I got in because of my boobs." Nami sighed and shuddered at the thought of the old men ogling her.

Robin simply began to laugh and stated, "Nami don't doubt your skills. You're better than most graduates and you haven't even started your freshman year yet. Oh yes, by the way, don't be surprised if you end up in the same classes as the guys. The university is massive on degrees, teachers, and subjects but all basic education classes are taught by a limited amount of professors. You're bound to be in the same class as someone."

"Thanks for the reminder... ... ... Robin, I'm scared to even see anyone. I want to see them badly but I'm scared out of my wits." Nami sighed and looked at her friend hoping to see a reassuring smile like she usually did when she felt nervous. Her expectations were highly met when Robin flashed her famous reassuring smile and simply stated, "You'll be fine."

After they finished their business at the coffee shop they could see that time had flown by too fast. It was already 7:00 pm so they decided to head to the apartment for the rest of the evening. As Nami settled into her bed later that night, she stared at the ceiling above her noticing how different it was compared to her old room. She very much felt like a stranger here visiting but she still felt at home. It was hard to wrap her mind around that this was her new life now.

_'Classes will start next week,'_ she thought.

Nervousness slightly bubbled in her stomach, but she also felt excited. What new things would await her next week?

* * *

***BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP***

Nami lazily rolled over to pound the sound of her alarm clock. She Didn't feel like going to class. For the past month she enjoyed sleeping in until 10:00 a.m. and cursed under breath as she rolled out of bed. Glancing at her digital clock again she sighed. "7:00 a.m. Monday" it read. She heard Robin from across the hall exit her room and walk towards the kitchen. At least she wasn't the only one suffering the early morning.

The sun was shining through her window making the walls in her room all the more bright to her newly sensitive eyes. She had decorated her room and unpacked everything but still lacked some major items in her room like a rug and some curtains. She made her way to her sliding glass window to let some fresh morning breeze circulate in her room. Upon doing such, the hairs on the back of her neck began to stand on end. She knew it was going to rain later. Although the clouds were clear and the sun was blazing she knew better than to leave unprepared.

Brushing her hair, she put on her peal earrings with gold clasps. She loved how it looked against her orange hair, giving her a more delicate appearance. She slipped her left hand through the golden bangle she received from her sister years ago. She always felt relaxed when she wore it and also felt it was somewhat lucky. She put on her light blue skinny jeans and an emerald green tank top that hugged her curves. Over that she layered a denim jacket that cut off right under her bust line. Applying just some quick makeup, she gathered from her desk a binder with a few sheets of paper inside, pens, pencils, and her day planner. She scowled at the fact that she forgot to buy herself a bag for class. She glanced again at her clock. 7:15 a.m.. She began to curse again at the fact that her class as 8:00 in the morning. She wanted to go back to bed and sleep in longer.

She quickly put on her dark blue converse and headed into the kitchen for a bite to eat.

"Morning!" she called to Robin.

"Good morning Nami." She smiled back. Nami just grabbed an orange and began to peel it when she heard the weather man forecasting today's weather. "Happy Summer everyone! Today's weather is going to absolutely be sunny as for the rest of this week!"

Nami scoffed at his forecast and Robin heard her. She began to laugh and knew exactly what Nami's behavior meant. "How bad is it going to rain today?" she mused.

"Its going to pour. Bring a sweater and an umbrella." she stated matter-of-factly. Robin giggled a bit more and did as she was told. After another ten minutes of eating and gathering their things they were ready to head out. Grabbing her simple orange umbrella that hung by the door, she grabbed Robin's light lavender one as well and handed it to her when they were outside of the building.

School was a ten to fifteen minute walk depending on how slow a person wanted to walk. They chatted along the way and waved each other off as they reached the campus. When Nami was finally alone she felt butterflies in her stomach. She made her way to the building her class was in and she couldn't believe how many people were walking along the paved paths and grass in between the buildings. There were hundreds of people of various ages and races. When she finally reached the building she tried not to feel overwhelmed by just how massive the inside was. Columns stretched towards the ceiling for about five stories. She admired the detail as she pulled out her schedule.

"What class am I in? … 3112A… 3112A? JUST HOW MANY CLASSES ARE HERE!" she shouted to herself as her eyes scanned the halls. She made her way to the third floor and was surprised it didn't take much time to find her class. Inside was a huge lecture hall which could seat around a hundred people. Where there really that many people taking general courses? Every row of chairs were spread out like steps that faced downwards. The center of the seating arrangement were clear of seats for easier access into each seat or row. Nami sighed. Most of the seats in the front were taken and the middle was starting to fill up. She didn't want a seat next to someone but she needed a good seat. Walking up each row she scanned for any familiar faces and exhaled in relief. She wasn't ready to meet anyone just yet. About ten rows in she saw an open spot on her right which was an isle seat. She began to beam as she realized the seat was dead center of the entire lecture and projection screen. She immediately took a seat without giving a second thought to the guy who was sleeping on her left.

She noticed a couple of clocks in the room and realized there were still ten minutes left until class started. She began to look around and finally noticed she sat next to someone. She couldn't see who the guy was and didn't care much, but she admired his style. A white hoodie that seemed to hug his body and cover his head as his face was buried into his arms on the small desk that pulled out from the side of the chairs. She continued her observation and noticed his dark blue jeans, black converse, and brown messenger bag. His style was simple and clean cut which she admired a bit.

She pulled out her pen and paper and began to tap at the little desk that she had pulled out. Her thoughts swam on what she might expect from her class. She came at the right time and at the right class but she forgot what subject she even entered. She just knew it was a general requirement so she took it. Bringing back her thoughts about her old friends, she failed to realize a guy standing on her right until he spoke."Her young lady, do you wanna drink with me later tonight?" he said.

Nami snapped out of her thoughts hearing this and felt her anger rise a bit. Who was this guy hitting on her out of nowhere? She stood up and looked him in the eye ready to slap him until she realized who it was. He knew that look on her face and he grinned widely. Her face felt flush but a smile found its way back as she squealed in joy. She forgot about how nervous she was about meeting everyone that she grabbed him and gave him a big squeeze.

"Ussop! Long time no see! You look so manly! Where did the scrawny kid go?" A blush came to Ussop's face as he realized the amount of breast on his chest and sputtered out, "Y-you've b-blossomed too!" Feeling his cheeks heat up more. Nami didn't care about the commotion she was causing. There were people catching up in class with old friends so why was her situation any different?

"Ussop let me look at you!" She put her hands on his shoulders and stood back a bit. Ussop had changed quite a bit. His jaw line was more defined and muscular if you could say. She glanced down onto his body. He wore a brown fitted band shirt that showed off his newfound muscles subtly. He wore tan cargo jeans with white tennis shoes and a black back pack that slung over the left side of his shoulder. "Ussop, you're a man now!" she laughed out. She couldn't erase the grin on her face.

She was about to say something more when she saw a familiar raven haired boy enter the room. He looked sleepy and glanced up into the class looking for an open seat when she saw his eyes grow wide. He didn't move from that spot. She was able to see what he had been wearing. A simple red t-shirt with white waves designed on it and dark blue pants. She noticed his signature straw hat in his hand and his signature slippers. Hanging off of his back was a deep read back pack. She too stared at him wide eyed. She was hoping she would see Luffy later. She wasn't ready to meet with him yet. He made his way up increasing speed.

"Oi Nami! It's been two years! You better have a good explanation!" he said. She could hear the anger in his voice but she heard how playful and excited it was too. Sooner than she realized, Luffy was standing in front of her pinching and stretching both of her cheeks. She was about to say something when she saw the guy who was sleeping next to her stood up to face them. He pulled the ear buds from his ears abruptly removing his hoodie. Nami thought she was shocked when she saw Luffy, she was more shocked to see Sanji. _'I SAT NEXT TO SANJI!'_ her thoughts screamed.

"Nami…" he exhaled. He was too surprised to see her there and that she sat next to him.

Hearing her name leave his lips sent chills down her spine. His voice was an octave lower and sounded smooth. She noticed the goatee Robin mentioned. It made him look much more mature and manlier than before. His jaw line was more defined and chiseled. Her eyes searched hungrily for anything else that had changed in the past two years. Sure enough, his hair was different. It was hard to describe how much sex appeal was oozing from him with just a change in his hair style. Now that it was parted on the left side of his face she could see a curl in his brow; but this one was much different from the other side. the curl began at the start of the eyebrow. _'So that's what this side of his face looks like.'_ she smiled inwardly. He was at least a few inches taller than her now and it made a nice difference. Two years definitely made a difference in his appearance and how he carried himself. She began to blush a bit.

She suddenly turned even more red when she realized that Luffy was still battling with her cheeks with her hands trying to push him off. Sanji realized what had been going on and suddenly shouted, "Oi Luffy! Get you hands off a lady!" He used his food and pushed Luffy away from Nami and she suddenly felt strong arms pull her in to an embrace. Nami had no time to react to the situation at all. The embrace itself made her feel like melting. The faded scent of cigarettes and the smell of his cologne seemed almost too intoxicating to her. "Nami.." he breathed. She didn't want him to let go and neither did he, but he did. His hands rested upon her shoulders firmly and took a good look at her. The woman who disappeared from his life two years ago was standing in front of him now. Her hair was now as long as her waist and her curves were more defined. Her skin remained it's fair, milky color and looked even softer than before. He gazed into her beautiful chocolate orbs that began to search his face. Her lips held a soft pink glow and looked too kissable. He saw her move her lips to say something but stopped.

_'Say something Nami…'_ he mentally pleaded.

* * *

**AUTHOR MESSAGE!**  
**HEY GUYS! I hope you liked this chapter. I forgot to mention it in the prologue but as you know, this is rated 'M' for sexually related themes and language. Future Lemons! For now, fluffs! haha XD**

As I claimed before, I don't own one piece. Eiichiro Oda does.

I own this theme of story however hahaha. I want to try and make this fanfic last as long as I can. I want to try and make it longer than 30 chapters. So stick around. There's romance, comedy, hurt/comfort/ and possible dangers. Who knows? haha You just gotta stick around to find out ;)

******_Author Note: Don't like it, don't read. Simple as that. Yes I'm aware the characters might seem too OOC from time to time. Its what I want to write about. If you have a problem then write your own fanfiction. I do this for the fun of writing and to relieve my stress from school._ **


	3. You can't disappear again

**RECAP!**

'_Say something nami…'_ he mentally pleaded.

* * *

Nami stared at disbelief. Here was Sanji, standing right before her. She had been so shocked to see Luffy that seeing Sanji made her mentally shut down for a moment. Time began to move slower. Every second felt like an hour. His eyes bore into hers making her feel uneasy. Those eyes were surprised, they were shocked, they were searching into Nami's. Nami didn't know what to do. It felt like her very soul was being read over like a book through his eyes.

Suddenly an outburst broke through her thoughts as Luffy jumped onto Sanji's back shouting, "Sanji what the hell did you do that for! That wasn't very nice!"

You could hear the playfulness behind Luffy's shouting.

"Luffy get down from Sanji's back!" Ussop grunted as he tried to help Sanji.

Luffy had caused Sanji to twirl around and Luffy accidentally hit Nami with his foot on her stomach. Nami snapped. She knew her reunion would be loud but not in class. With a swift fist she hit the back of all three guys' heads shouting, "THAT HURT! NOW STOP IT!" Her punch was hard enough to make them fall to the floor and a huge grin came to Luffy's face. He started to laugh and Sanji and Ussop joined in. Luffy's laugh was always contagious and Nami felt herself smile and giggle a bit.

"AHEM!" called an unfamiliar voice. Nami and the guys glanced down to the bottom of the lecture hall to see an old man with thick rimmed glasses standing behind a podium. By his side were four younger adults who were most likely his assistants. "You four! Class started well over five minutes ago! Take your seats or leave! This isn't a place to play around." His face was red and puffy with rage.

'_Crap. This professor is a hard ass… Well we were being loud.' _she thought. Luffy and Ussop stood up and snickered as they headed towards last row of seats and settled down. Nami helped Sanji up and they sat in their respectable seats. Nami was nervous. Not only did she get on her professor's bad side, but she was sitting next to Sanji. Not to mention she still had no clue what class this was. Her foot began to tap nervously as she tried to look anywhere other than Sanji or her professor.

Sanji leaned back to get comfortable but kept stealing glances at Nami. He noticed her foot tapping and sighed inwardly. Was she scared sitting next to him? Sanji didn't know what to say to her. He saw her bite her lower lip as her eyes searched for something in the room. He suddenly saw her cheeks turn red a bit and he smiled inwardly. _'Nami, why do you still look cute?' _he mentally chuckled.

She abruptly looked to her left and caught him staring. They made eye contact and he was taken aback slightly. Her gaze suddenly shifted to his desk and she was pouted a bit. _'Nami, don't make that face… It's too cute…'_ he inwardly groaned. He noticed her face turn a darker shade of red as she began to move her lips.

"Sanji…" she muttered. "What class….is this? … ... ..." She felt stupid for asking. She could have just looked at her schedule but she wanted any excuse she could get her hands on to talk to Sanji.

Sanji blinked and thought for a second. Was she really asking what class this was? She never met his gaze. _'She's serious! She looks so embarrassed!' _It was killing him how adorable he found her. Aside from being beautiful, he was glad that he was the only one to see this cute side of her right now. A smile crept to his lips and he began to chuckle as silently as he could but she caught wind of it. She looked at him with her pout and glared at him for laughing.

"Nami…" he chuckled. "…this is World History…" he chuckled some more. Nami's face flared. She was pissed she even asked and he was laughing at her. She immediately turned her attention to her professor who just started lecturing without an introduction or even a greeting. She needed to keep her mind off of Sanji so she started taking notes. She didn't have her book yet so she was desperate not to miss any notes and desperate not to think of Sanji.

The lights then went out and the projection screen illuminated the front of the classroom. For the rest of the hour, Sanji had taken some key notes but not as much as Nami had. She was literally writing ever single word she heard and every piece of information that appeared on the projection screen. He smiled. _'Nami was always smart like that.'_ He noticed her lean back into her chair and lightly swing her hand; trying to relieve the pain she gave herself from excessive writing. He wanted to reach out and relieve her pain-any excuse to hold her delicate fingers.

"And that's it for today's lecture. Everyone stay in your seats, I have papers you need to sign." said their professor.

Suddenly the room was bright again. Nami squinted a bit at the light invading her eyes and heard a few students groan. At least she wasn't the only one suffering. She glanced at the back of the class to see Luffy sleeping with his usual snot bubble. Ussop had been sitting next to Luffy, taking a picture of him, and texting to someone. She brought her attention to her desk and noticed a little note that had been torn from a notebook with words scribbled on it. She looked towards Sanji who was leaning into his seat with his arms crossed. He glanced her way but said nothing. She took a better look at the note trying to make out the words but couldn't. _'Was this from Sanji?'_. She squinted harder and eventually gave up. She crumpled the paper and notice him shift a bit. _'Yup, it was from Sanji.'_ She tossed it at him and locked her eyes with his.

"I can't read your chicken scratch…" she mumbled. "What did it say...?"

"Can we talk…? …Later..?" He asked.

Nami stared at him dumbfounded. "Y-you m-mean a-lone?" she stuttered.

He simply nodded at her and she bit her lower lip. Before she could say anything their professor spoke up to the crowd, "Alright everyone. There are well over seventy of you in this class. I can't keep track of who is who so where you sit today is your assigned seat for the rest of the semester. An empty seat means an absence. My assistants are going around the room with seating charts. I want you to write your name and signature underneath it. Don't think about trying to change your seats, I had my assistants take photos of the class."

Nami turned and scowled at her professor. This guy just made it into her 'People to Kill' list. As she was about to protest, his assistant came over and handed her the seating chart for her row. She wrote her name despising every moment and passed it to Sanji who scribbled his name and passed it down. She noticed again his chicken scratch writing and decided to change the topic they had before their professor interrupted.

"You need to fix that." She mused.

"Fix what?" He didn't know what she was talking about. His mind was still waiting for her answer from his previous question.

"You're handwriting. It's terrible. I can't understand a thing and I don't think the professor will either." She stated matter-of-factly. She gathered her things together and looked at the door. She was ready to dart out of there as fast as she could. She could feel his eyes on her. She missed him every sing day but was too much of a coward to have a decent conversation with him. Her prayers were suddenly answered when her professor gave the 'ok' for them to leave and she stood up quickly.

Sanji knew she was going to make a run for it and grabbed a hold of her hand the moment he heard their professor give them the 'ok' to leave. He wasn't going to let her leave without a word _again_. Nami stopped and looked down onto her hand and back up to Sanji. He gave her a pained expression that seemed to keep her there. "Nami you still haven't answered me. I'll wait for you at the student center at lunch time. I know you wouldn't choose a class at that time. Especially during Summer." She looked away pursed her lips slightly, not in anger, but in thought. Why was he so adamant about meeting with her alone? She looked back up at his face. His eyes were still searching for her answer. She sighed and nodded. He let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and released her hand. With that, she walked out of class without saying another word.

Her mind was racing. Why did Sanji want to talk to her alone? Was he just a concerned friend? Her hopes began to rise a little thinking he held the same adoration for her like she did with him. Then the thought of him being a flirt made that hope disappear again. _'I don't know if he's still a flirt or not. Maybe things have changed. I can't shake that thought though...'_ Nami pulled her schedule from her binder and took a look at her next subject _first_.

"Freshman Composition…" she muttered. "Great, more writing." she groaned.

She battled her way through other students apologizing along the way as she bumped into them. _'Why is this hall so damn packed?'_ The building was a almost a ten minute walk away from her history class and the only fast way there was through this long corridor. It cut the travel time in half and everyone else had the same idea. She glanced at her schedule once more before placing it into her pocket. _'1200B…' _

She sighed. She was grateful her class was on the first floor. She couldn't handle the stress of climbing stairs let alone packing into a crowded elevator. She finally found her class and walked in. It was a smaller room that could fit about thirty students. The back seats were already filled but Nami didn't care about those spots. She wanted something in the center or maybe even up front. She saw two open seats dead center again and she smiled. This morning may have been full of surprises but she was happy that God had been giving her good seats.

Not paying attention to where she was sitting she kept a silly grin on her face and heard a familiar gruff voice called her name. She looked to her left and her mouth dropped. One of the next people she didn't want to meet right away. His green hair was slightly longer with the addition of a scar along the side of his left eye. His eye hadn't been damaged though Nami couldn't help but wonder how he got that scar. His neck and jaw line were more masculine and she could clearly see his muscles showing through his clothes. He wore a light blue button up shirt that was left unbuttoned and a dark blue tank top on the inside. He wore black jeans with black shoes which she couldn't make out due to how baggy his pants were.

'_Why are they all manlier looking?' _

_S_he snapped out of her thoughts fast and tried to move to another seat when she felt herself being pulled by the back of her denim jacket. She suddenly felt herself being lifted and spun in the air. Her feet still didn't touch the ground and she was now staring at him in the eyes. She cursed herself for not being fat and heavy. Zoro was always strong but this was ridiculous. He was holding her up by the back of her jacket like she were a mouse being held at the tail. Zoro's blank expression suddenly turned into a frown and Nami knew this wasn't good.

"What the hell Nami! What happened to you! Where have you been! Do you have any idea long you've been missing!" he growled.

"O-oh, h-hello Zoro. Long time no see." she nervously laughed out.

"You can't be serious? You disappear for two years, show up, and have nothing better to say? You didn't even tell anyone you were leaving." He grunted. He still stared at her waiting for an answer. Nami was about to open her mouth when she heard Sanji shouting.

"Oi, Marimo! Get you hands off of Nami-swan!"

'_Nami-swan? It's been a while since I've heard that' _she chuckled inwardly.

Nami finally felt her feet reach the floor again as the two began to bicker.

"What's that curly brow? You got something to say?" Zoro scoffed.

"Don't put your filthy hands on Nami-sawn again Marimo!" he retorted back.

Nami sighed. _'You would think they were enemies if you didn't know them.' _She couldn't help but giggle a bit seeing how nothing had changed between the two. She was stuck in the middle trying to defuse the argument with a sympathetic smile and a hand on both chests. "Guys, this isn't the place to bicker." Still locked into their staring contest she glanced around for last minute open spots. She wasn't going to sit here with these two. Her face lit up as she saw an open seat just three chairs to her right.

"Well, I guess I'll let you two handle this on your own." She laughed nervously. She moved a little and Zorro grabbed the back of her jacket and tugged her back to her spot.

"You're not going anywhere Nami. Not until I say so." Zoro stated.

Nami gulped a bit. "Ah well, I don't want to get in the way of your beautiful show of affection towards one another so I'll just-"

Suddenly they looked at her and growled at the same time, "Stay!"

She was about to speak up again when they commanded, "Sit!" Nami couldn't disobey. Not when these two were heated and could over power her. She did as she was told and Zoro sat back at his seat to her left. Sanji took the opportunity to steal the empty seat to her right. And there was Nami. Stuck in the middle, with the two men she didn't want to be with at that moment. She sighed and pulled out a few sheets of paper and her pen and began to twirl it between her fingers. She was trying to think of an excuse to use to get away from them when a light bulb suddenly clicked in her head. _'THE BATHROOM! GENIUS! I can just say that I need to pee, wait outside for the professor, get what I need and leave! This plan in full proof!'_

Just as she was about to put her plan into motion, a tall woman with blond hair strutted in with a perky smile and a loud greeting. "Good morning! It's nice to know I have a full house! Just for the record, I'm lazy as hell and bad with names so attendance will be based on where you sit today! Make friends with your neighbors!" She beamed.

'_NOOOOOOOOOOO!'_

Nami felt like someone had punched her in the stomach and took all the air out of her. She slumped over her desk and whimpered a bit. _'I've been curse haven't I?'_

Zoro glanced at Nami and smirked. He knew Nami wanted to avoid them. He looked over to Sanji and began to say innocently, "Oh, this is wonderful. I get to be seated next to my dear old friend Nami. It truly has been too long since we've seen or spoke to each other."

Sanji stared at him like he was stupid but immediately caught on. He chuckled a bit but let him continue. "I know you're just as happy about this seating arrangement as I am."

She lifted her head and saw him flash a smirk her way. She glared at him because she knew he was doing this on purpose.

Zorro raised his brows and sighed. He knew he shouldn't have been picking on her but he needed to. He had two years of jokes and snide comments waiting for her. He changed his tone of voice which sounded more concerned. "This is for the best. You can't disappear without saying a word this time."

TO BE CONTINUED...

* * *

**Hey guys!  
Sorry for any mispells or grammar mistakes. I'm only a human with a dumb writing program that doesn't catch my mispells until I edit it in here. Also, I'm bilingual so my English tends to get messed up from time to time. **


	4. Things never change pt1

**Author's note: Yes I read one piece and I'm perfectly aware of their new appearances and differences but I've just twisted some things like character height to fit my preference and some of the ideas that came up in my mind. Yea, I twisted some background stories for some characters too because it just kind of adds the effect of the story.**

**About Chopper, I made him human so what? Yes he's really 17. His debut in the manga was 15 and of course the 2 year time skip made him 17.**

**Remember, it's a modern day AU. Sorry if it sucks. Happy Reading XD**

**RECAP!**

Zorro raised his brows and sighed. He knew he shouldn't have been picking on her but he needed to. He had two years of jokes and snide comments waiting for her. He changed his tone of voice which sounded more concerned. "This is for the best. You can't disappear without saying a word this time."

* * *

Thirty minutes left of class and it would be lunch. Nami was dreading this class. For the next three months she was forced to sit between Sanji and Zoro. Shortly after hearing about the seating arrangement, Nami quickly added this professor to her 'People to Kill' list. And just like her first class, she wrote her name in a picture of a box that was supposedly her seat.

Nami explored her options as best as she could but came up empty. There was no running away now. Not with Zoro and Sanji sitting on both sides of her. She glanced to her left, then to her right. Sanji and Zoro were actually paying attention in class.

'_That's surprising...' _She sounded so smug.

She knew two years could have changed their study habits. Especially Zoro's. But what about Sanji?

'_He never showed any general interest in school and flirted with every piece of ass he saw.' _

Nami tried to wrap around the idea of him secretly being a genius. He never did show her his grades in high school. He only complimented hers. Whenever she would ask about him, he always made some lame excuse like 'Oh you don't need to see the grades of a lowly peasant my princess' or 'Luffy ate it by accident'. The Luffy story was very believable because he had a tendency to eat anything without a second thought. _'How old is Luffy now? Eighteen? HOW?' _

She glanced at Sanji again and this time noticed he wasn't actually paying attention. His left hand was propped up against his cheek which cleverly hid his ear bud from their professor. Nami glanced at Zoro and sighed. At least he was paying attention. She felt her respect for Zoro growing. He was never interested in school and always slept. It was nice seeing his pattern change for the better.

Or maybe not.

Her ears twitched at the sound of light snoring. She thought to give him the benefit of the doubt and glanced around her class. No one was sleeping. Everyone had been taking careful notes except for the men she sat with. Nami looked back and took a careful look at Zoro. He was staring at the blackboard. She could still hear light snoring coming from Zoro. Then it dawned on her. Nami's face paled and she scowled.

'_This bastard…is sleeping with his eyes open! That's so creepy!' _

She did have to give him some credit. I was pretty bad ass; but still creepy. She poked his arm with her pen and saw his right eye slowly shift to her direction. She gasped and jumped a bit in her seat. She maintained her stare with his eye and felt uneasy. This was the weirdest thing she had ever witnessed. Did he do this when he was with Robin?

She never stopped staring at him. She was too afraid to look away. His eye slowly focused back to the front of the class and she heard his light snoring continue.

'_Scratch that! That's too fucking creepy!'_

She began to fidget in her seat. What she just saw would haunt her for a good amount of time. She was glad to find her professor's voice snapping her out from her thoughts.

"Ok, so I think I'll let you guys leave early. But, that means you get homework. I want a three-paged essay about yourself. Who you are, what you're doing, what you want to do and etc. Dismissed."

As soon as she finished speaking, students started shuffling around and scrambling for the door. It was fifteen minutes till eleven which meant lunch time. Nami neatly placed her papers into her binder and suddenly realized that Sanji and Zoro were staring at her. She suddenly felt so self conscious. The staring was awkward but the silence was even worse. She was about to say something when Zoro spoke up.

"Ok, to the cafeteria."

"Which one? There are four." Sanji grumbled. He wanted to talk to Nami alone but apparently that wasn't going to happen.

"The one by the library. I heard it was the cheapest."

Zoro glanced at Nami. He knew the word 'cheap' would catch her attention. And that it did.

She looked up at them and then down to her shoes. She felt almost stupid for asking but began to sputter, "So you guys are going together?"

"Haaah?" Zoro spouted. "Did you lose some brain cells these past two years? You're obviously coming with us."

This caught her attention even more. She was hoping she wasn't invited. She needed time for herself. Time to breathe. She looked up from her shoes and looked at them both. They gave her two genuine smiles telling her that she was still their nakama. Nami felt a tug at her heart. She really did miss these guys. She could never say no when any of the three most influential men in her crew gave her their signature smiles. As soon as Zoro walked past her, tapping her shoulder, she began to hesitantly move behind him.

Once she passed Sanji he lightly nudged her with his hand on her small of her back to move faster. His touch was warm and non intruding. It felt natural to have his hand there. She could smell the faint scent of cologne and cigarettes again. She couldn't help but inhale deeply. It was still intoxicating to her. Sanji noticed her inhale but said nothing. He figured she was only nervous.

Along the way to the library, his palm would ghost around the small of her back when ever her pace would begin to slow down. The walk itself was slow due to the crowding of students but that didn't stop her from moving slower. Zoro stood not too far from her and she saw him glance in the wrong direction. He was going to get lost if she didn't say anything. She bit her lower lip and looked over to Sanji. He simply chuckled knowing what she was thinking and nodded while placing a cigarette in his mouth. He didn't light it, but just needed something on his lips to calm his nerves.

As cool and collected as he seemed, he was a wreck on the inside. He couldn't believe how much contact she was even allowing him. Back in high school, she always made it a point to avoid his touch. His thoughts were racing. He wanted to pull her in and devour her lips but couldn't. She was scared of even talking to her friends. Making a move on her would probably devastate her. Sanji inwardly groaned. This wasn't fair.

"Zoro, you're looking in the wrong direction." Nami said hesitantly.

Zoro glanced back and simply grunted in acknowledgement. He glanced in another direction and was about turn when Nami cut in again, "Other way…"

This was one of the things he missed about Nami. He knew he had a direction problem and was too proud to ask for directions. She was so blunt about it and didn't give a damn how she said it to him. He didn't mind her brash attitude towards him. He respected it. He would argue back just to get a rise out of her though. But today was different. He wasn't used to seeing her being hesitant and timid. It irritated him but he decided to let it slide.

They finally reached their destination and Nami felt her hands begin to grow clammy. She tried to make a run for it when Zoro grabbed her by the waist and plopped her over his shoulder. Over his back she was staring at Sanji who's face just so happened to be three inches away. Her face flushed a deep crimson the moment she felt his breath tickle her lips. She started to squirm and slap her hands against Zoro's back with no avail.

Sanji was pissed too see Zoro grab her and plop her over his shoulder like a rolled up rug. He opened his mouth to say something when he noticed how close Nami's face was. He saw the hesitation and fluster of red in her face. _'She's mad isn't she?' _He thought.

Sanji never once thought to think he was the source of her red face. He moved to Zoro's side who was now walking up the steps that led to the French style doors that blocked off the cafeteria from the outside.

"Oi, Marimo! That's not how you handle a lady! Don't you dare try anything funny!"

Zoro simply huffed as he and Sanji pushed the doors open. Hearing the loud thump of doors opening made her go limp. _'No turning back now. Though its not like I could go anywhere.' _

She could see the faces on the people who they passed by. They were faces of confusion, faces of laughter, and faces of blank stares. _'This is just embarrassing!'_ she inwardly groaned. Her limp body slumped even more towards the center of Zoro's back. Her thoughts were cut off when she heard familiar voices.

"Yohohohoho! Now who's lovely bum is this? May I see her panties?" said one voice.

"Ow! Who is this is? She has a SUPPPPPER ass!" shouted another.

"Zoro, who are you carrying?" squeaked another. This squeak was a couple of octaves lower but she knew who it was. There wasn't anyone else in the gang that it could have been.

"See for yourself." Zoro grumbled.

He shimmied Nami down in front of him and turned her to face everyone. Her hair had been flipped over her face from the way Zoro had brought her in. She had recognized those voices earlier and smiled under the mess of her hair.

"Who are you?" squeaked Chopper, as he walked a little closer to her.

He bent down a bit to see under her hair but stopped when Nami moved. She flipper her head down to gather her hair and flipped her hair back-hoping her hair would go back to its previous style-revealing her face. The first person she obviously made eye contact with was Chopper. He blinked a bit and so did she. She couldn't help but smile seeing him. His light caramel skin and his adorable round eyes stood out the most to her.

He was a cute kid two years ago but now, being seventeen, said otherwise. He was almost as tall as Nami, and very lean. His dark brown hair was tousled and reached down to his ears. A few more years and Chopper could learn to be a flirt. _'Note to self, keep him away from Sanji.' _

He wore a maroon short sleeved button up top that was left open and a black band t-shirt underneath with dark brown pants and black converse. He was handsome, but held a boyish yet feminine face. If you were to put a wig on him, he could have made a pretty girl. Nami started to smile bigger. She felt so proud of him. Every bit of her wanted to show him off along with his photo from two years ago.

"Nami…" he said. He didn't meet her gaze.

He blinked a couple of more times as tears began to form in his eyes. He suddenly wrapped his arms around her neck and fell limp.

"NAAAAMMMMMIIII! WHERE….HAVE….YOU….BEEN!" he said through sobs.

Nami's smile turned apologetic as she began to pat Chopper's head.

"Hello to you too Chopper." she consoled. Nami had to admit, Chopper was like her baby brother. It wasn't because of the age difference, but because of his soft personality and child like innocence.

"Chopper, two years ago your bawling would have been adorable but now it's just wimpy looking. Don't let that cool, manly appearance disappear on the first day of college." called Usopp, who had been sitting by Luffy and Brook.

Brook hadn't changed at all. He was still the tall, lanky, ghostly looking person as before. His Afro remained unchanged. His long face, hollow cheekbones and pale skin remained the same as well.

He wore a long sleeve black shirt that hung off of him as if he were a skeleton. His pants didn't do him justice either. It looked about a size bigger than he was. You could see the many extra holes that had been made into his belt to accommodate how tiny his waist was. He wore simple blue jeans and his regular gentleman's shoes. His fashion sense was really weird to Nami, and she made a mental note to take him shopping one of these days.

"Ooowwww! What an attractive woman before me! It's my SUUUPPPER friend Nami!" shouted Franky with his 'super' pose.

Nami only smiled. She had no idea what to say to Franky. The only thing that changed were his muscles. His upper body looked like a tank. It kind of grossed her out a little but pushed that idea aside because he was her friend.

He wore his typical read and yellow hawaiian t-shirt with a light blue tank top inside and some shorts. Jean shorts... _'Eww...'_ You could clearly see his hairy legs and a pair of simple slippers.

"Nami, please take a seat." Brook motioned to her while pulling out an extra seat. "And along the way maybe I can see your-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence if you want to live!" Sanji shouted.

"Yohohoho Sanji! You're so cruel!"

The rest of lunch had been like that. Jokes, snide comments, occasional arguments. Nothing had changed at all with them. Nami felt herself having a blast. It was like she never left. She felt stupid for feeling hesitant or scared of her own nakama. She found herself laughing at the faces Luffy and Usopp were making, lecturing Franky on how he shouldn't ever excite Chopper with new things, slapping Brook every time he asked to see her panties, and calling Zoro weird for what she saw in class earlier.

Her gaze moved towards Sanji who just smiled back at her. She couldn't remember the last time she smiled and laughed like this; and seeing Sanji again made it feel perfect.

"By the way Nami, you never did tell us why you disappeared." Luffy stated.

'_Crap. I was having too much fun. I forgot this topic was going to pop up sooner or later.'_ She glanced around the table and sighed. She knew there was no escape. She took in a deep inhale and began to explain her story. She never once looked away from her friends. She could see the look of sympathy, the look of anger, the look of surprise, and the look of understanding from their faces. She was glad they listened to her silently. It would have made it harder to explain if they were their usual loud selves.

Luffy stood up immediately and gave her a tight hug. Nami was taken aback slightly. She expected him to be upset. Instead, his reaction was calm and understanding.

"Nami, don't ever feel like you'd be a burden on us again. You're not and never will be. There's a reason you're our nakama."

Luffy let go of her and grinned his usual goofy grin.

"You're not going to disappear again. We'll be sure of that. So be prepared Nami! The rest of your life is going to be filled with nothing but us!"

She glanced around her table again. She saw smiles erupt from everyone's faces and her eyes began to sting from her salty unshed tears.

Just then, Robin spoke up from no where.

"Well its good to see everyone catching up. Nami, what do you want have for dinner tonight? I was thinking of chicken mozzarella pasta with a Caesar side salad. Is that ok with you?"

How long had Robin been there? Did she just get there now? After being with the guys for two years they still couldn't wrap their attention around the fact that Robin was somewhat like a ninja.

Robin's appearance wasn't surprising to Nami in the least. After a month of living with Robin she picked up on all her new habits and ghost like way of walking.

Nami only shook her head and cheerfully said, "No that sounds delicious. I'll go with you to get the groceries. I'm running low on shampoo and few other things so it'd be killing two birds with one stone."

"Wait what? You invited Nami to dinner and not us?" shouted Luffy.

"Yea that's a little unfair don't you think?" muttered Zoro. He was hoping to visit Robin later that night and eat out.

"Zoro, what are you talking about? I told you last month that Nami was my roommate." Robin lied.

"Woman you said no such thing!" he growled.

"Zoro, I did. Don't you remember? You went shopping with me for clothes and I told you about Nami when I was in the changing room. I know you heard me. You grunted in approval." she said with a powerful yet subtle smile. This was the smile she used to intimidate people. "Unless you weren't listening to me?"

Only part of her story was true. She had lied through her teeth about mentioning Nami but she knew Zoro would back down with her signature smile. Zoro had a tendency not to listen and he knew that too. In tough situations like these, it was best for him to apologize or agree.

"N-no I was listening. I guess I... forgot..." he smiled at her like he was holding on to dear life.

"You are so whipped." Sanji smirked.

"What's that curly brow! Don't think that Nami's reappearance will stop me from beating you senseless!" he retorted.

"Any time, any where Marimo! I have legs of steel itching for some kicking! Besides you knew in advance that Nami-swan was living with Robin-chwan and said nothing! That's grounds for an ass kicking!"

"Like I said! I forgot!"

Sanji and Zoro began to bicker and wrestle each other to the floor; taking turns putting one another in a choke hold.

'_Yup, things never change'_ Nami smiled.

* * *

**Hope you guys enjoyed this installment!**


	5. Things never change pt2

**Hey guys, just thought I'd say thanks for reading. Trust me fluffs and lemons are going to increase. I'm still trying to ease the story in to make scenes and ideas fit together. **

**Also, I try add a new chapter every day. If I can't post it everyday, expect it to be added within 2-3 days of the previous chapter.**

* * *

After lunch, Nami didn't feel like going home just yet. She decided to head to the library for some quiet time and an opportunity to buy her book for her history class. She wasn't going to let today's events make her forget about the assignments she had.

Before entering she glanced up with her mouth agape. She hadn't noticed how massive the library was when she walked passed it earlier. It looked about fourteen stories high and was ridiculously huge around its perimeter. At least that meant more study space.

She made her way through the library and the first floor came off as unappealing to her. It was the loudest floor on the library. Papers were shuffling, people were walking in and out activating the air blowers on the door to keep the hot air out, and most of all, there were too many whispered conversations. Nami knew she couldn't get anything done on this floor and walked up to the elevators.

She began to scan the tile on the wall that said how many floors were there and which floor had what types of books. The first four floors held regular fiction and non fiction books and study areas. The fifth and ninth floors read 'conference halls'. The sixth to eighth floor said the same thing as the first four floors and everything passed the ninth floor accommodated majors and fields of study with their own floor of specialized books.

Nami sighed to herself and rode the elevator like it was game. Each floor was massive and filled with students. The first two floors were awful for studying as there were too many conversations. She moved up with no avail. Sure there were a lessened amount of people but that didn't stop the conversations from rolling.

She finally went to the eighth floor to see it packed and silent. This was the crowd Nami wanted to study around. Except for a few shuffles of paper and the tapping away from some laptops, it was relatively quiet. She smiled to herself and began searching for a table.

Most tables had been filled with friends or groups that had been studying and Nami was beginning to lose a little bit of hope until she saw an open table in the back by a large glass window. _'Yes! An open table!'_

She found herself speed-walking towards the table with the thought that someone else could steal it. She didn't care how she looked if someone noticed her.

The moment she sat down was the moment her stomach dropped down to the first floor. She sat across from Sanji who was writing his essay and listening to his music. He glanced up smiled and returned to his work.

'_Dammit! Every time I get lucky with a seat it's always near Sanji! The universe must be conspiring against me...'_

She looked around for another seat when Sanji said, "There's more than enough room here Nami-swan. Just don't hog the table."

She sighed and decided to work on her essay for her composition class but she was distracted. She kept stealing glances at Sanji who was deep in concentration with his essay. This type of Sanji seemed really sexy to Nami. Maybe he really was a secret genius.

She eyed his essay and sighed again. His famous chicken scratch writing was there. She said nothing about it and finally began her own essay.

By the time she finished her second page Sanji muttered to her, "I need your help."

She looked up confused.

"What?" she asked.

He looked at her sincerely and said it again, "I need your help. Ever since you pointed it out its been bothering me."

Nami had no clue what he was talking about until she saw his gaze shift to her essay. Then it hit her. She felt a little guilty making Sanji feel self conscious about his handwriting.

"I'll pay you." he blurted.

Sanji never cared about his handwriting until she said something about it this morning. He was also looking for whatever excuse he could get to be alone with her.

"What?"

'What,' seemed to be the only thing she ever contributed to the conversation so far. She couldn't believe he was asking her to help him with his handwriting. He never troubled her for something simple like this before. She decided to play along to try and call his bluff.

"Gee, I don't know Sanji. I charge a hefty fee for my tutoring services."

She smirked inwardly but maintained a composed face as she continued her essay. She glanced at his face and realized that was a mistake. He was seriously thinking about paying her.

"Name your price and I'll meet it." he answered back.

She stopped writing and took a good look at him. He was serious and his gaze seemed desperate. She wanted to refuse but couldn't find it in her heart to. She bit her lower lip and looked at his essay that still sat on the table.

Sanji watched her carefully, noting her biting her lower lip. He loved how she looked deep in thought. Sanji didn't know any other way to keep her with him but this seemed to be the best option at the moment. He saw her eyes search the table and look towards his essay. He felt a little self-conscious because he knew she disapproved of his handwriting.

Nami lifter her gaze and met Sanji's. She needed the money to pay for her half of the rent and basic living expenses but she didn't want to take advantage of Sanji like that. Sure it matched her personality to charge for tutoring but this was Sanji. She would have gladly done it for free if he asked but he offered her money and was serious.

"Sanji, the offer is tempting but you're my friend. I don't want to take advantage of your money." She muttered.

"Nami-swan, you should take advantage of the fact that I'm offering payment. You're on a scholarship right? Your school fees are covered but what about your living expenses? You're sharing an apartment with Robin so you're living off of your savings at the moment right? So why not? It seems like a good deal."

Nami froze in her spot. Sanji hit the nail on the head. Nami hadn't told Robin about how she was going to pay for her share of the rent or her things, but it was obvious.

"Sanji, you're a student just like me. You're income is limited as well. I can't take your money."

Sanji was taken aback slightly. He saw her sincerity and general care for him. She didn't know about his financial situation. Sanji could see that things were looking up for him if he played his cards right with Nami. He knew she loved money but the fact that she was refusing his meant that maybe, just maybe, she felt something for him.

'_Sanji, why are you just staring at me? Say something… anything.'_ she mentally pleaded.

She suddenly saw him smile and chuckle a little.

"Nami-swan you sure have changed these past two years. Who knew you could be so generous to a man such as myself. You truly are the kind hearted princess I love serving. Don't worry about the payment. I can assure you, I can afford whatever your price is."

She blushed a bit. She loved his flattery. Though cheesy, she still loved hearing it. She loved hearing her name leave his lips. Especially like this morning when she met his gaze for the first time. She wanted him to call her name without the suffix 'swan' attached. 'Swan' felt like she was being put at a distance.

Seeing as Sanji wouldn't give up, she began calculating her rent and daily expenses. Her share of the rent was 270 Beli a month. Her daily expenses would have totaled to about 60 Beli a week.

"How often do you want to meet? And do you prefer weekly or hourly payments?" she asked. She averted her gaze. She was still too flustered to look at him.

"Let's meet on Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays. And I'll pay you hourly." he insisted.

"How about 35 Beli an hour then. If we're meeting three times a week for an hour, that's 420 Beli a month. My rent is 270 Beli a month and that gives me 150 Beli for living expenses. That seems reasonable right? It's not too expensive for you is it? I can lower the cost-"

"How about I pay you 50 Beli an hour. That gives you 600 Beli a month. Take out the cost of rent and that gives you 300 Beli for living expenses. Seem fair?" he smiled.

"Sanji that's a lot of money. I can't take that from you." she interjected.

"Why not? It's a legitimate transaction and there are other students who charge around the same if not even higher for their services."

The volume in Nami's and Sanji's voices were growing a bit and some students would glance their way.

"But I'm not like _other_ students. I'm your friend and you're mine. I won't charge that much!" she growled.

They stared at each other for a moment and exhaled at the same time. Nami glanced at the clock and noticed it was four in the afternoon. She looked out of the window and saw how dark it had gotten as rain began to tap against the window. There was no sign of the afternoon's sun trying to break through the dark clouds. The clouds looked rather sad and gloomy. Very fitting for the mood at the moment.

She saw Sanji shift and lean back into his seat and sigh. He looked out of the window and broke their silence.

"Nami, just take my payment. Don't hurt my pride as a man." he exhaled, as he tapped his index finger on the wooden table; causing a soft thump each time his finger made contact with the table.

Nami noticed he had said her name again without a suffix. Her ears felt like melting. He sounded a little exhausted but his voice was smoother than honey. She wanted him to say her name again but she didn't know how to get him to.

She began to think about what he said. What did his manly pride have anything to do with it? Nami couldn't understand what Sanji had meant. She had thought he was feeling sorry for her and that was why he raised his payment to her. At the same time, as his friend and the man she loved, she couldn't take that much money from him. He was the last person she would want to take money from.

She thought about his words carefully. Did he think she was doubting his overall financial status? His natural bread-winner instinct? That wasn't her intention at all. She didn't want to continue this argument and gave in. She threw her hands up as if surrendering to gunfire and sighed.

"Ok you win. 50 Beli an hour every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Same time and place?"

"Sounds good." he smiled.

Nami gathered her things and decided to head out. She gave Sanji a courteous nod and left, forgetting that there was a downpour outside.

When she reached the doors she finally realized it was raining again. She began to grab for her umbrella and noticed she wasn't holding it. She groaned in annoyance. She left it behind somewhere and couldn't remember where.

She still needed to meet Robin to go grocery shopping and this obviously wasn't happening. She didn't have a cell phone to call Robin with and she didn't even know Robin's number. She thought about asking Sanji but she had too much pride to ask him. Not after losing to Sanji in an argument dealing with money. She decided to lean against a pillar on the outside of the library that was covered by the roof's overhang. She was hoping that rain would let up but who was she kidding? She predicted that this rain was going to last a while. At least she wasn't getting wet.

She didn't know what to make of today. Was it good or bad? Lucky or unlucky? Maybe it was both. She stared at a puddle of water forming at the bottom of the steps. The sound of the rain was a bit hypnotic and she felt herself feel a little sleepy.

She noticed something move on the left of her peripheral vision breaking her free from her little trance. She turned her head to see Sanji panting slightly with his messenger bag tucked under his left arm.

"Hey.." he said. He took a deep inhale to force his breathing to relax and continued. "Robin said she can't go with you. She forgot that she had a five o'clock class. She texted me your grocery list and said there's money on the kitchen counter. She's asking if you can manage the grocery shopping?"

"Huh? Oh! Uhh, yea I guess. Did you run down here just to tell me that? You could have taken your time. It's not like I can go anywhere."

"The elevator was taking forever so I took the stairs. You don't have a phone and I realized it when I tried to call you. I wasn't sure if you were crazy enough to run in this rain or not so I took my chances in running."

Nami felt her heart get a little warm and fuzzy. This was one of the things she loved about Sanji. But hated at the same time. He would do anything for a girl. It pained her that she wasn't the only girl he would be this nice to. He was a gentleman to women after all. She shook her head forcing her thoughts to stop right where they were. She needed to stop thinking about his past self. It's been two years.

"Well, thanks but it looks like I'm not going anywhere. I left my umbrella somewhere. I'm pretty stupid aren't I? I predicted this weather and forgot the most important thing." she laughed dryly.

"Oh you mean this?" Sanji asked as he was pulling her orange folding umbrella from his bag.

"My umbrella... Did I leave it in the library?"

"You left it behind in history and I forgot to give it to you during lunch. Were you that shocked to see us?" he chuckled.

He handed it to Nami, feeling her fingers ghost over his. Sanji wanted to touch her hands so badly. Not just her hands. Everything.

"Pay more attention to your things from now on." he lectured.

Nami didn't know what to say. She big her lower lip and began to search his eyes while she thought. _'He noticed I left my umbrella in class and was nice enough to hold onto it._' That was the most genuine thing he's ever really done for her. Back in high school he listened to her orders and did her favors when she asked for it. He'd make her snacks without her asking but they were usually to get on her good side.

She weighed her options heavily. Maybe he was just being a good friend. The more she thought about Sanji, the more she realized that she knew little of him now. Maybe things had changed. Maybe he wasn't a flirt. Maybe he had genuine feelings for her. But then again the thought of him just being a good friend kept ringing in her mind.

Sanji saw her bite her lip. Did she really think it was odd for him to have her umbrella? He was beginning to regret holding onto her umbrella if she was going to make that face towards him. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when she began to fidget where she stood.

"Sanji… Do you… want to… come with me? That is, if you're not busy… Maybe you can stay for dinner too…" She didn't meet his gaze.

Sanji stood there stupefied. Did she just ask him to accompany her? _'Is this her way of saying 'thank you'? If she's offering then I shouldn't refuse… Wait, what if I'm reading this wrong? Why_ is_ she asking if I want to go with her? What do I do? The old me would have pushed myself to follow her. It's never been the other way around…'_

Sanji felt stupid for not knowing what to do. He gulped and decided to take advantage of this moment. He flashed her an appreciative smile and said, "If you don't mind, I would be delighted to go with you."

She nodded in response and began to open her umbrella. Her heart was pounding. Was he trying to give her a heart attack? That smile wasn't good for her heart.

She felt nervous but decided to suck it up and gulp it down. She lifted the umbrella over her head and motioned for him to come over. She flashed him her most confident smile. "My apartment is about ten minutes away if we hurry."

Five minutes into their walk, she felt so embarrassed. Her umbrella could barely fit the two of them and it was silent. She could feel his body heat radiating from him. She wanted to apologize badly for how small her umbrella was.

"Nami-swan, let me get that." Sanji said as he grabbed the umbrella for them both; feeling her cold fingers. Sanji had to fight every urge he had to grab her fingers.

They continued their fast pace down the sidewalk while gusts of wind chased after them and finally reached her apartment. Nami reached to unlock her the front door when she noticed it was already open. _'Is Robin home? No she can't be. She should be in class right about now.' _She shot Sanji a worried look and he immediately caught onto the situation. Someone was clearly in her apartment.

Sanji entered first keeping Nami close behind him. There was a muffled voice and mostly things clanking and rusting around. There was a burglar in her apartment. This couldn't be happening. He handed his smart phone to Nami with 911 ready to be called. All she had to do was press 'call'. Nami's heart stopped. She looked up at Sanji scared for what could happen.

He moved in close to her ear and whispered, "If something happens I want you to call the police and run as fast as you can. You need to find a good hiding place or a place with a lot of people. Do you understand me?"

He stood back a bit to see her face. She nodded and stood by the door as Sanji made his way closer to the living room entrance. He grabbed the lamp that was on the side table where Nami and Robin would leave their keys and stopped just before peering through the open door frame.

Sanji listened to hear the footsteps coming closer and immediately sprung into action. He swung the lamp and Nami heard a loud grunt and shuffling around in the other room.

"What the fuck curly brow!" shouted a familiar voice.

"What do you mean 'what the fuck' Marimo! I should be saying the same thing! What are you doing here?" Sanji was pissed.

"I'm getting a few things Robin forgot for her class. What are _you_ doing here?"

"I'm here with Nami-swan to get the groceries for dinner." Sanji exhaled. He was relieved that Nami wouldn't be in danger. "Nami-swan, you can come out now. It's just the fucking moss head"

Nami came into the living room with a face filled with red furry. She was mad. "Zoro you idiot! I was scared shitless! I still don't know this city too well! I thought I was being robbed! For scaring me you owe me 30 Beli!"

Nami held out her hand waiting for payment.

"What! Why should I?"

"You don't go into other people's homes being quiet and suspicious like that! Now pay up!"

"No! I have a spare key to this place in case Robin and I want to-"

Zoro didn't finish that sentence. His face flustered a bit. He quickly started fishing his pocket for his wallet cursing under his breath. He pulled out a wad of Beli and slapped it in her hand. Zoro was about to say something when all three of them heard the door open and close with some light thumps and fumble noises.

They turned to see who it could have been but didn't see anyone. Instead they head snickering and grumbling. Zoro stepped forward and Sanji moved Nami behind him. The two men looked and nodded at one another and advanced at the source of the noise.

There were multiple shrieks in pain that sounded too familiar.

Zoro and Sanji shouted in unison. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU GUYS DOING HERE?"

Nami heard a distinctive laugh and knew it was Luffy right away. "We saw Nami and Sanji leave together and I thought it would be fun to play secret agent and spy on them!" Luffy and the rest immediately struck poses with their fingers as guns.

"That's it! 30 Beli from each of you now!" Nami shouted. She held her hand to collect payment.

Chopper was tearing a little from the lump that was beginning to form on his head and began to apologize, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you guys. Its just that Luffy's idea sounded fun and it was for a while. Practicing stealth and blending in. I'm sorry..."

Nami felt guilt build up in her stomach. Chopper was still too adorable when he cried. Her sisterly complex pulled on her insides.

"Ok everyone 30 Beli and Chopper 15 Beli and we'll call it even!" She still held her hand out expecting payment.

"Oi Nami isn't that unfair!" shouted Luffy.

"That's SUUUUPPPPEEEER unfair Nami!"

"Nami don't play favorites!" groaned Usopp.

"Yohohohoho!" was all that Brook could say.

Nami's patience was wearing thin as she shouted, "Pay up or I'll double the price and so help me give you a beating you'll never forget!"

"Yohoho miss Nami, will you beat us wearing your-"

Nami gave brook a round house kick and grabbed his wallet from his pocket. She took her money and glared at the rest of the guys. They gulped and shuffled for their wallets and soon, Nami was a rich girl for that evening.

Not even a minute later they started making themselves at home regardless of her protests. Nami could only sigh in annoyance. She used Sanji's phone to text Robin that dinner wasn't going to be what they had hoped and received a simple smiley face telling her to order pizza. She handed the phone to Sanji and sighed again. This time not in annoyance. She smiled to herself hearing them bicker and crack lame jokes.

'___Yup, things never change_.'

* * *

**About the Beli, just think of it as dollars. Beli is appropriate for the manga and it makes sense on the amounts of people and items. In this AU, it makes more sense to think of it equaling to a dollar. **

**Yes that means Sanji is loaded. How? Stay tuned to find out XD  
**


	6. The wounded gazelle and the hungry lion

A month had already passed and Nami's school schedule became second skin to her. Mondays and Wednesdays at eight in the morning was history with Sanji and a few extra friends. Then later at nine thirty she had Sanji again for freshman composition with the addition of Zoro. Her Tuesdays and Thursdays were much more calm with Math to herself at eight thirty in the morning and Sociology with Robin at ten.

She knew the ins and outs of the area surrounding her classes, which didn't even cover a chunk of the campus. If you had to divide NW University into percentages, you could say that Nami only knew about twelve percent of the campus.

She found herself becoming closer to Sanji on a level where he could be her closest guy friend; which she was trying to avoid.

She did whatever she could just to make contact with him. A brush against his shoulder, a poke at his ribs when he was being saucy, pinching his cheek if he hasn't listening (which only happened twice), and other simple things along those lines. She knew there was an invisible line of where their friendship cut off. She wanted to cross that line but feared that things wouldn't be the same if she did. She just had to drop hints and be subtle about things and hoped he caught on.

On Sanji's end, it was driving him mad. He loved that fact that he could be really close to Nami. He loved the little moments she would touch him. Even on a close friend basis. He was well aware of the invisible line that kept them apart and had to grind his teeth whenever she was near. Either Nami was just friendly or she was flirting with him unconsciously. She had a thing for touching Robin, Chopper, and Luffy. At least, not in any sexual or suggestive form. Linked arms, shoulder pats, hair ruffling, things you'd see friends do. They were the closest to her in the group. He began to worry that she was seeing Sanji as only someone just really close to her.

Sanji knew very well that he could cross the invisible line at any moment, but that would be at the risk of ruining what they had. Sanji had to accept his fate and grin the whole journey through. The fact that he could even be near her was a privilege that he didn't want to lose.

* * *

"A drinking party? I don't know… that sounds lame. It sounds like a bunch of lonely losers getting together to get wasted and cry out their frustrations." Nami deadpanned.

"Nami you _have_ to come! Other than Zoro, you're the only one I know who can hold their liquor!" begged Luffy.

"Luffy that's not something to even brag about. And this isn't place to ask me. Besides I have better things to do. I have a research paper due on Monday and I need the whole weekend to do it. I can't waste tonight being wasted, tomorrow with a hangover, and then Sunday taking it easy." she lectured in a tone as soft as she could.

Nami was embarrassed of Luffy right now. He was the loudest thing in there. She could feel the glaring eyes of everyone in that room. This floor was her safest haven. The floor she always shared with Sanji. At any moment someone could kick her out and she'll never get to be allowed in.

She looked at her watch to see how much longer Sanji would be. _'Another thirty minutes…'_

Nami liked her alone time but she was always happy to see Sanji. She had grown accustomed to his presence this past month. She always found herself showing up at the library earlier to have her quiet time with Sanji. But today was different. Sanji had work and wouldn't be there until exactly at four.

It dawned on her that she never knew what his part time job was. Had she even asked about it? She knew about most his quirks but she never asked about anything like his part time job. Was she being insensitive? Was she being inattentive? Did he think she wasn't interested in his life or future?

Nami's mind was swimming. It's not like they're even romantically involved. They were on the verge of being best friends which wasn't a good sign. It had only been a month of being reunited with everyone and yet her and Sanji were very close. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when she heard Luffy underestimating her.

"It's understandable if you can't handle your liquor anymore. It's been two years. You're probably _way_ too sober for even a sip of wine. Well its ok, don't feel bad."

"Now just a minute Luffy, I never said I couldn't drink. You're making your own assumptions. I could drink a whole barrel of beer and still be sober." Nami said, as she was flipping through her notes and a few textbooks.

"Then you'll come?" he shouted.

"Absolutely not."

"Come on! Please! Please! Please! Please!"

"Luffy, stop, you're making a scene and I need to get this done."

"I'll only stop if you come."

Just then, Luffy started groaning loudly and complaining like a child. The glares towards Nami were getting worse. If she didn't do something, she could never return to her favorite place. She looked at Luffy who was still whining and groaning.

"Fine! I'll go! Just shut up and leave!" she shouted. Hearing a big amount of 'shushes' from her pears.

Luffy was about to shout in excitement when Nami grabbed his cheeks and smooshed them together.

"Whisper. Now who is going to be there?"

"Everyone from the group, a few people I met from Impel D. Community College, and a bunch of girls from some club called Amazon or something like that. Maybe the club was called Amazing? Anyways that doesn't matter. We're meeting at that new bar that opened just four blocks away. There's a promotion going on. The guys at Impel D. have too many promotion tickets and told me to bring as many people as I could. It's basically free drinks for those with tickets."

Nami pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.

"I'm not staying long. Do you understand? … … … What time?"

Luffy nodded and grinned.

"Nine. Oh, tell Sanji too. You're tutoring him today right?"

Nami only nodded and returned to her work. She needed to get her rough draft done and Luffy wasn't helping. He sat down next to her and began to swing his legs and hum loudly.

"Nami, am I bothering you? You seem upset."

"What? Me? Gee Luffy, what gave it away? I'll see you at nine. Now leave." she growled under her voice.

Luffy smiled a bit and began to head for the elevator. He passed by Sanji on his way out and gave him a shoulder pat along the way. Sanji had to do a double take. Was Luffy just in a library? He walked up to Nami quietly making his presence known. She glanced at her watch and smiled.

"Good, you're on time. Here are the writing exercises I made for you and here is your exercise from Wednesday. Good job by the way. You handwriting is much better. It's still sloppy but you can make out most of what you write now. You still have a big problem with your "g's", "y's", and "q's"."

Not once did she look up from her work. He simply sat next to her like he usually did so she could keep a better watch on his writing like she normally did.

Their tutor sessions consisted mainly of silence while he followed the exercises and patterns she gave him. She would glance at his work in between her own and would stop him if she saw him making mistakes. Sometimes he'd ask her if he was doing ok and she would simply nod. There were days when they would joke around with his work or give him a free-writing exercise with ridiculous stories; which he liked. She had an over active imagination and thought it was funny.

He glanced at her side of the table and noticed how much work had been lazing around. Books were scattered in front of her, the side of her, under her, and on her lap. Her right hand wrote as her left hand glided across notes and flipped through pages. He was interested on how she managed that. She managed to write information down that didn't match what she read. Her hands obviously wrote down the information she read previously while she read new information at the same time. How did she do it? She was one hell of a multi-tasker.

Her brows began to furrow and her writing pace began to increase. Was she in some sort of mental debate? Maybe the multitasking was taking its toll on her? She muttered to herself, "Final stretch…". Did she realize she was mumbling? Sanji observed her until she finally stopped and tossed her pen onto the table.

With a sigh or relief, she began to massage her hand and look at Sanji's side of the table.

"You're not working on your exercises." she chided.

"Ah sorry." he immediately read over the day's exercise and began to write.

Nami watched him work carefully and then she noticed it. The way he held his lead pencil was the problem. He let it drag across the paper and swoop around in different angles. She could use this to her advantage. She was feeling lonely not being to touch Sanji today.

"Sanji, give me your hand."

"Huh?"

She grabbed his hand gently and rearranged the pencil in his fingers. His hands were warm and smooth, with long, slender fingers. They were too beautiful for a man's hands. This was the first time she really touched his hands. She didn't want to let go but if she held on any longer it would have been weird.

"There. Start from the beginning and finish to the point I stopped you at."

Sanji obeyed. He was shocked that she touched his hand. He knew she was doing it to solve his problem but this wasn't good for his heart. He could hear it heart pounding against his chest. His hands were growing clammy but kept writing and didn't notice the new penmanship he developed. When he finally came to a stop, she took his paper and began inspecting it. She turned to him and smiled.

"See, now this is beautiful. I don't know why I didn't notice it sooner. How was the comfort level of the pencil in your hand? It'll take a couple of more writing exercises to get used to it but I tell you, just rearranging the way you hold your pencil made a dramatic improvement. I'm jealous actually. It's prettier than my own handwriting."

"Like pencil placing can have such a huge change." he scoffed as he grabbed for his paper. He took a good look before realizing she was right. It was soft looking but had a powerful undertone. She began to poke at his ribs with an 'I told you so" smile.

"Nami-swan you're one hell of a perfectionist." he chuckled. He changed his reaction so fast and scooted his chair from her with an accusing finger. "You must be a devil! No one as beautiful as you would fix flaws without proper payment!"

People began to 'shush' them and glare intently at Sanji for his sudden outburst.

"A devil? Please. I prefer to be called a misguided angel. Besides I am receiving proper payment." she giggled.

"How about a fallen angel?"

"A fallen angel? Now you're insulting me. You make it sound like I was kicked out. Unless I'm some sort of bad ass fallen angel who was framed and had to flee, and then protect the world from the next apocalypse with the man I love and then regain my former glory, then no."

"Well if you're 'misguided' that means you fell and hit your head hard enough against the pavement to become 'misguided'. That sounds like something that would happen to Luffy."

Nami found herself giggling. It was such a lame topic but she found it amusing.

"So a fallen angel sounds a bit more graceful rather than 'misguided'. Or we can wrap around the idea that you're an angel with directional issues like the moss head. Hey, maybe he's a 'misguided angel' too." he said poking her arm.

"Fallen angel it is."

Sanji fixed his chair back to where it was and tried writing more with his new-found pencil position but noticed the weird feeling. "Nami, maybe I need to glue it in place or tape it or something… its shifting back to the way I used to hold it."

"That's why I said earlier that it'll take a couple of more writing exercises to-"

"But it's booooring."

"Don't pull a Luffy on me Sanji. He already gave me that crap earlier. Oh yea, which reminds me, are you free tonight?"

"Huh?"

He darted his attention to Nami who laid her right cheek on the cool surface of the wooden table. She looked at Sanji for a bit and closed her eyes. He was shocked. Was she asking him out?

"Um, no Nami-swan I'm free. Why?"

"Luffy embarrassed my ass earlier and the only way he would stop was if I agreed to go to a drinking party. I could skip out but it's free booze and you know I don't pass up on free stuff. I'm meeting him at nine and I don't want to go alone. Do you want to be my escort? I don't plan on staying there long. We can think of it as a congratulatory almost-done-with-my-tutoring party."

"…"

"Yes or no?"

Sanji wasn't sure if he should be happy or not. He was happy she was asking him to be her escort but he didn't like the idea that his tutoring sessions could be over soon. The library was their new regular thing so he didn't have to worry much. It wasn't out of the normal to sit with her either. And they were closer now. He still had about two months left of summer semester with her so he'd be able to find an excuse to spend more time with her.

"I'd be delighted Nami."

Nami simply smiled with her eyes still closed. He said her name without a suffix. As close as they were he still referred to her as Nami-swan. But she loved the moments when only her name would leave his lips. She inhaled deeply to relax a bit when she noticed something different about Sanji's scent. It was calling her. She opened her eyes and sat up. She couldn't help herself. She moved in close and began to sniff him.

"N-Na-Nami! What are you doing?" he stuttered.

"Sanji, is that the scent of your body wash?

"Hmm?" Sanji could feel the heat rise in his face.

"You're giving off a scent that is very similar to the smell of mint…"

"Oh, its the smell of my new cologne. I really like it. I started using it today. Sorry, does it bother you?"

"No not at all. It actually smells pretty good. I really like this particular scent very much. It's a refreshingly clean fragrance."

* * *

Later that night at the party, Nami had stayed longer than she intended. She glanced at her reflection in the window and smiled. She wore a short, white, flowing skirt and a brown ruffled halter and her brown heals. She liked how it gave her a sweet appearance.

It was already midnight and she felt buzzed. Sanji was passed buzzed but not quite drunk. He was still pretty cognitive. She had to give him credit. Back in the old days one glass of beer had him drunk. He had a pretty good tolerance now and he was looking rather 'dashing' if Nami had to say. He was dressed fashionably. A grey undershirt with a dark-grey dress shirt and black jeans with his signature black converse. Her eyes were molesting his body. Especially his upper half. It held onto him nicely without looking tight.

Her eyes had wandered around the overly packed bar. It reeked cigarettes and greasy food. Franky and Zoro were locked in a drinking contest with Brook and Usopp cheering them on. Those two were obviously drunk. They sounded like absolute idiots cheering on the drunkard and the human tank. Robin was enjoying the vibe while she sipped her long island tea. Chopper only drank soda because he was under the drinking limit and Luffy had run off somewhere with some girl named Hancock.

Nami looked at her watch and made her way to Sanji. She had to speak over the volume of people shouting "chug chug chug chug chug" and people shouting over the football game on the giant plasma screen about the bar counter.

"I'm going to head out! I'm buzzed and I have a research paper that won't write itself!" she shouted.

Sanji placed a hand on her hip and pulled her in and shouted, "What!"

"I'm heading home!" she giggled.

As she was leaving she stopped to say her goodbyes to her friends and headed out with Sanji following behind her.

Outside of the bar was quiet and Nami's hairs stood on end when the night air rubbed against her skin. She didn't realize how hot it was in the bar. She heard the clang of the bell on the door and turned to see Sanji standing next to her.

"I'll walk you home." he said, while stretching his arms slightly.

"You don't need to do that. I'm a big girl Sanji." she gave him her biggest smile and he wasn't buying it for a second.

"Nami, this is a battle you're going to lose. It's late, its Friday, and you're beautiful. You're practically a wounded gazelle walking by the home of hungry lions."

Sanji moved in close to her ear. "You wouldn't want to get _eaten_ would you?"

Nami shuddered at what Sanji had said. His breath tickled her ear and his tone of talking was different. It was rather sexy. He was normally reserved and a gentleman. Sure there were moments he dropped the gentleman act around Nami when they were goofing around but this had a totally different feeling. It was different. It was enticing. It hid a hint of danger.

She didn't argue with him as he placed his arm around her shoulders and they began to walk.

"Sanji, you're drunk aren't you?"

"Hmm? Quite the contrary. I'm very much sober. I was buzzed about a good ten minutes ago."

"You sound different. Like slight personality change."

"Ah, well, as much as I enjoy treating you like a princess, because you deserve it, I'm actually a bit lazy to make an effort. Sorry to disappoint you."

"I'm not disappointed. This kind of side to you is a bit sexy if I say so."

She looked up at his face but he didn't meet her gaze. She could see how shy he was getting. He brought his free hand to his mouth to try and inhale his cigarette but noticed there was nothing. This caused her to giggle.

The rest of the walk was quiet but it was comfortable. She liked how his arm around her shoulder warmed her from the cold night air. _'This is bad. When he touches me my heart races so fast it feels like its going to stop.'_

She felt the familiar tingle on the back of her neck and looked up at the sky. Not a could in sight but she knew it meant rain.

"Sanji, its going to rain soon. Let's hurry. I don't want to get caught the rain."

"Right away princess" he chuckled. He picked her up as if he were going to carry her through the threshold and made a dash for to her apartment.

There was a reason he was approached by the soccer team. He had great stamina and speed. But he had a killer kick too. In no time at all they were at her apartment and she could hear the thunder rolling along. He put her down carefully and she began to unlock the door.

"Sanji, stay over. It's going to rain bad. If I lend you my umbrella its going to get busted two minutes into the rain."

"Nami-swan I'll be fine. It's just rain."

"Be quiet and follow me."

Sanji was a little stunned. She hasn't been this bossy since high school. He didn't know how to deal with it now. With the way she was shooting daggers with her eyes he knew the safest option for now was to listen and follow her.

He respectfully took his shoes off and followed her into the living room.

"Make yourself at home. I'll get you an extra pillow and blanket from the linens closet."

He stood there unsure of what to do. He was sleeping at Nami's place. He looked around the living room smiling inwardly. It was cozy. The last time he was there, he didn't get a chance to really look. The whole robbery incident and pizza event that followed after led him from taking in the room. The more he thought it was cozy, the more he thought it was a place the girls definitely lived in. It had a woman's touch (obviously) everywhere, but still maintained its chic and modern appearance.

Nami came back into the room with clean sheets, a blanket, a pillow. It seemed to have a 'blue' theme to it.

"Sorry Sanji. If you were a woman I'd share my clothes with you" she said as she began to make a make-shift bed out of the sheets on the couch.

She stood up and gave him a sheepish smile. He had walked into the kitchen for a cup of water when the lights suddenly went out and thunder shook all the windows in her apartment. She shrieked a bit not expecting thunder to be that loud.

"Sanji?"

"Yea?"

"I'm a little scared…"

"There's nothing to be scared of it was just thunder. You mean to tell me that our weather girl, who is a hundred percent accurate, is scared of a little thunder?"

"Just shut up and come here!"

"I can't see where I'm going you come here."

"Lets meet up at the couch."

"Hey that's not fair. You're already in front of the couch" he started to chuckle.

"Hurry up Sanji."

She could hear is steps coming closer.

Sanji felt stupid searching in the dark. He used his hands as a guide and found the tips of her fingers lead him to sit next to her. She leaned against him and Sanji realized she wasn't kidding earlier. She was shaking slightly.

"Nami…"

"What…"

He wrapped his arms around her and shifted her onto his lap.

"Sanji what are you-"

"Just sit and keep quiet."

Sanji was glad for the black out. He was so embarrassed trying to act cool. He knew his face was red. He felt Nami nuzzle into his chest and his heart began to race.

"Sanji, you feel hot. Are you sick?"

She began moving her hands up to his face and slapped him gently a few times causing him to chuckle. She was searching for his forehead. She decided to only way to get there was to slide her hands from his neck up. When her fingers trailed across his lips he began passing butterfly kisses to her fingertips.

"Nami, it's ok. I'm fine. And stop worrying. The thunder will pass."

With his right arm still wrapped around her body he gently took her hand from his lips into his left hand. He intertwined his fingers with hers and she didn't resist. He began trailing butterfly kisses along the top of her and up her arm. She still didn't resist. Sanji didn't want to scare her away but he couldn't bare not touching or kissing her.

* * *

**Author's note!  
**

**OMG! Things have finally started to take their course in the name of love! Will there be lemons or just lime? will they finally be upfront about everything? stay tuned for another chapter. **

**Which will be posted tomorrow or in two days. I'm really getting into this scene that I can't stop writing. Of course I'd save it for the next chapter. There would be too much for you to read if i posted it all on this chapter XD  
**

**Happy reading!  
**


	7. Melting

Nami let him kiss her everywhere. His butterfly kisses were causing her to have her own set of butterflies flutter around in her stomach. Sanji began to lean his body closer to hers as his lips would lightly graze her skin. She was a little hesitant, unsure of what to do. Unsure of what this moment meant. But she found herself stunned under his kisses. She couldn't refuse him. Mainly because she didn't want to. She wanted him to say her name, touch her, kiss her, and make love to her.

His lips made their way to her neck and began to caress her skin. It was as soft as he had imagined.

"_Nami_…" he exhaled.

She almost couldn't believe he was kissing her. The way he had just said her name in such an intimate way seemed so foreign. Nami gave a muffled gasp of surprise from the excitement she held. She had never been this close to him before. She was so terrified, yet happy at the same time. She did the only thing she could do. She placed her hands behind his neck pulling herself closer to his lips. She wanted his kisses to intensify against her neck, her skin, her whole being.

With one hand on her hip, he let his free hand trace over her arm and down her back. He wanted to bask in moment.

"_Nami…_ you're going to hurt your back that way. Face me."

She complied to his suggestion. She was now straddling his lap with her hands resting on his chest. She tried to look at his face to little avail and did the best she could feeling for his face. Her fingers gingerly touched his lips and moved closer hoping to meet his lips with her own. She stopped shortly before kissing him. She could feel his breath tickling her lips. There was the faint smell of cigarettes and alcohol but also the smell of his fresh cologne mixing in with it. It was absolutely intoxicating.

Sanji noticed, no, he could feel her hesitation in front of his lips.

"Sanji, if we go any further, what's going to happen?" she whispered. She was scared to even think of losing him as a friend. They weren't open about their feelings to one another and actions spoke louder than words. But was this out of love? Or out of a high from the alcohol? She didn't want to become his mistake. She wanted to become his anything _but_ a mistake.

He stayed silent while she weighed her options.

"It's not like-" he started.

"If we kiss, it'll definitely hurt…"

He leaned in and lightly kissed her lips. "How was that?" he exhaled.

She didn't say anything. She couldn't see his face, but could feel his lips lightly against hers again. They were so warm and soft. Closing her eyes, she responded back to his kiss.

What started off as pecks and butterfly kisses, turned into slow passionate kisses. He snaked a hand under her shirt and began rubbing her back gently. His kisses were electrifying and feeling his hands gave her goose bumps. He left her lips and kissed her cheeks as slow as he could and made his way down to her neck. He let his tongue swirl in small, circular motions and dragged it up to her ear lobe. He nibbled it tenderly before making one slow lick along the edge of her ear, up to the very top. Nami gave a muffled moan at how wonderful it felt as a tingling sensation began to form at the pit of her stomach and she knew Sanji was the cause.

Each gasp, sigh, or muffled moan she let out was a turn on for him. He could feel his erection building up as she straddled him. He had to be careful with Nami. If he moved too fast it would have been over.

She moved her hands from his chest and wrapped them tight around his neck forcing a hungry kiss on him. Sanji was stunned but responded to her kiss. She shifted her weight a bit and sat directly on his erection and grinded her hips slightly. He felt too good against her. She found herself gasping a little in surprise as Sanji pulled on her hips slightly and rocked his hips into her.

This was now uncharted grounds. Anything that happened tonight would be the best decision ever or the biggest mistake ever.

'_What do I do? If I stop now, I'm scared it'll really be over.' _she thought.

The lights suddenly flickered back on and she was now very aware of her position. She had been swept away in the moment and her feelings and longing took over. He looked at her with passion and desire and came in for another set of sweet kisses. His hands trailed across her waist and up her stomach, stopping before her bra. Sanji looked at her waiting for the 'ok' but she never looked at him. Her eyes were closed and her face was red. She looked a little scared. Was she still a virgin?

"Nami, do you want to-"

"Not here… Not on the couch."

He pulled her into an embrace and lifted the both of them up from the couch. Sanji's hands cupped her butt cheeks trying to balance her as he stood.

"Nami you gotta help me out here." he grunted as he fixed her position. She wasn't heavy in the least but standing carrying someone definitely made things difficult.

She wrapped her legs around his hips tightly and he began to walk into the hallway.

"Sanji…"

"Hmm?"

"It's the last one... on the right…" her voice was muffled against his shoulder.

He made his way into her room and guided her gently to her bed. The freak rain and thunder had passed so fast and her room was illuminated with moon light. It gave it a more romantic feeling.

Sanji knew he should stop himself, but all notions of sense and worry seemed to have fled his brain with each passing kiss. His hands traced down from her waist to the sides of her thighs pulling her knees closer around his hips. The tips of his fingers dug softly into her smooth legs as he continued his kisses at her neck. Nami glided her hands into his hair and felt her lips covered by his again.

The moment he slipped his tongue into her mouth was the moment things got really heated between them. She became more adventurous in exploring his body with her hands. She reached one hand from his back and slid it over his abdomen. It felt so amazing against her fingers. Part of her was wishing he wasn't wearing a shirt. Deciding to act on that thought, she began to pull up the edges of the open shirt. He obliged as he broke their kiss to slide off the first offending layer and finally pulled his second shirt completely off over his head; and tossed it to the floor behind him. She blushed for a moment, glancing at how he really did look just as amazing as he had felt. His physique almost seemed too perfect looking.

Long slender limbs, smooth taught skin, firm muscles, a well proportioned body...he was the epitome of sexy.

He rubbed the sides of her stomach underneath the top she wore, causing her to lean back. Taking in the opportunity of her position, he lowered himself and lifted the shirt slowly to just below her breast line. He licked a rough tongue over her belly button and continued over her ribs.

Nami wanted him too much. She lifted her arms slightly, giving him the ok to help her take it off and guided her onto her back.

She felt a bit self-conscious as he stopped to look at her. Her right arm layed over her flat stomach as her left covered her bra. She was never shy about the body she worked so hard for. But under Sanji's gaze, she felt insecure and felt like melting in her panty while he was simply admiring how beautiful she looked in her bra and skirt.

He fixed himself between her legs and rested on his elbows as he continued to kiss her sweetly.

"Nami. You. Look. Beautiful." he exhaled between kisses.

His comment made her relax. She couldn't help the fact that she loved him. She would let him do what he wanted with her. Hearing him call her beautiful in this moment of lust cleared her doubts of what the situation meant.

Moving her guarded hands away slowly, he intertwined his fingers with her own and began to kiss her collarbone while following it down to her chest. Lapping his tongue over the top of her left breast, she withered from his touch. Her knees squeezed against the side of his hips in response. She unconsciously wanted to feel against him more as she moved her hips under him. She could feel his arousal pressed between her legs and wanted to feel more.

Her hands slid down his chest, across his stomach, and down to the button of his jeans. She fumbled with it and could hear a chuckle rumbling in his chest. He held onto her hands and guided them in removing his jeans.

And there it was. His erection made a tent out of his boxers. She felt his manhood rub against her thigh as he slid skirt off slowly and placed himself between her legs again. Not only could he feel how warm she was against himself, but the small layers of soft fabric covering their intimate areas separating them almost felt like nothing was between them at all. Thankfully, he still held some sanity by not trying to discard any more of what little clothing was left or else all would have probably been lost in trying to hold himself back.

He guided both of her legs around his waist which pressed her most sensitive spot against his manhood. He felt the consequence of his hips grinding into hers making Nami give a sharpened gasp against his ear. The feeling from that compelled him to want more. Her response surprised him a little but he continued as she pressed her hips against him even more. He should stop. He really should, but it felt so wonderful. The shy moan against his neck just now was not helping him decide otherwise. He ground his hips into hers again.

"Nami…" he groaned huskily.

"Sa-nji." she said, as her voice hitched.

He kissed her lips softly and said, "You're making it really hard for me to stop."

He adjusted his body to lean against her off onto her right side. He outlined the top edge of her panties with his fingers and kept going lower into the inner sides of her thighs, before sliding down into her sweet spot. She held back a groan as his fingers softly touched over her now very sensitive womanhood. Sanji could feel how wet she was from their previous escapade through the thin fabric. He began to rub lightly over her spot, up and down, and began to kiss down her neck. She slowly began to breathe heavy. She was melting to his touch.

Seeing her sprawled out against the bed like this was making his arousal much more grand, but he tried his best to ignore it for now. He wanted to just take his time with her.

"How does that feel?" he asked softly against her ear.

"…G-Good." she exhaled.

"Do you want me to go faster?"

She couldn't say anything. His touch was driving her mad. She was only able to conjure a few nods.

He began to increase the pace of his fingers nestled in the folds of fabric on top of her nerves. Arching her back further into his touch, she couldn't stop herself from trying to prevent more moans escaping her throat.

"Sa…ah…nji."

Sanji felt pride well up in his chest hearing her struggle to say his name. She felt really hot and wet between his fingers as he changed his touch. Over her nub, through the fabric, he moved his fingers in a circular motion. He sucked softly on her shoulder which drove her crazy. His kisses felt too amazing along with the special attention she was receiving against her womanhood. She loved every second of it. She laced her hand on his shoulder and lightly dug her fingers in, trying to hold back the intense feeling that was arising. It felt too good. Her heaving breathing turned into pants and gasps as she squirmed under his touch. She was going to reach her climax very soon. Her breathing was now extremely desperate.

"Sa-ah-nji. I'm ah-at my limit." she gasped sharply.

And then the most unexpected thing happened. He stopped. Just before her climax. His fingers were still pressed against her sensitive spot but he wasn't moving. She was so caught up in the moment that she failed to notice that he moved from a sideways leaning position to a sideways laying position while touching her. She turned to look at Sanji on her right, and blinked-confused for a second- through her panting. Then it hit her. Her face welled up with rage and embarrassment. He fell asleep on her!

"At least finish what you started!" she hissed.

She has never felt so humiliated before. One moment she was sure his actions were genuine and the next he was sleeping. All the more reason that proved, in her book, he had a bit too much to drink.


	8. It's just breakfast

Nami woke up earlier than she normally did on a Saturday. It was eight in the morning and she was pissed. Sanji had gotten her worked up last night and couldn't even finish the job. Shortly after he fell asleep she was forced to go into her bathroom and finish what he started.

She got out of bed moving the protective arm that hung around her waist and made her way to her bathroom. She needed a shower after last night's escapade. They didn't even go all the way but she broke a sweat and felt a little not-so-fresh.

The shower was long and hot. She really needed this. She was upset and needed to calm down. She thought carefully about last night and began to shudder. She remembered everything perfectly. His kisses, his touch, his manhood. She found herself wanting to touch herself at the idea of what happened last night. It was all so fresh, so exciting, so different. But she didn't act on her impulses. She was still upset.

She made her way into her bedroom with nothing but a towel on to find Sanji still asleep. She was upset that she felt vulnerable and insecure while almost being naked last night. This morning however, she had all of the confidence in the world with her figure.

She put on a white tank top and some pajama shorts and headed into the kitchen for something quick. As much as she wanted to press the matter about last night, she decided against it. She was already falling behind on her research paper. She needed the day to finish it if she wanted to relax tomorrow.

She made her way back into her room with a plate of two toasted bread slices with peanut butter on it and a glass of orange juice. She plopped herself onto her rolling chair in front of her desk and pulled out the laptop she never used. It was weird to even touch it. The only time she had touched it before was when she first bought it. She normally wrote everything by hand but it wasn't like she'd never use laptops or computers before.

She popped a CD into her laptop and began to type out her rough draft as the voices of Linkin Park shouted into her ears. She wasn't picky about music but she needed something to drown out all other noises and her thoughts.

About an hour into her work Sanji finally awoke with the sun greeting his eyes. His eyes were squinted and found that the color of the room was brighter than sun itself. It literally screamed 'GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE!'

"What time is it?" he grumbled. He looked around the room and realized it wasn't his. _'That's right. Last night Nami and I…'_

Sanji thought carefully about what happened last night. He couldn't remember much after almost getting her completely naked. And then his face paled. _'I FELL ASLEEP ON HER!' _

Bingo.

He began pulling at the roots of his hair in panic. He shifted under her sheets to sit up and noticed a familiar tuft of orange peaking from behind the computer chair.

She didn't notice him because of how loud her music was but that didn't stop him from thinking she was purposely not acknowledging him.

He sat at the edge of her bed noticing the familiar morning stiffness to his manhood. He ran a hand through his hair and glanced at Nami again. She wasn't paying attention to him. He could hear the soft tapping of a computer and thought this was the perfect time to leave. Leaving without a word was cowardly of him but he had no better options. He wasn't man enough to hear from her mouth that he was a mistake.

He quickly dressed himself and glanced over to Nami once more. She was now typing away at the speed of light. But what he didn't know was that Nami was fully aware of him moving around now. She might not have been able to hear it, but she could see his reflection that had been cast by the glare from behind her. She stopped her music and listened to see if he was going to say anything.

He said nothing.

She saw him slowly making his way to her door and she felt like she needed to say something. Anything to keep him there.

"Sanji…" she said, with hope in her voice.

The door had been open but his back faced her.

"Hmmm?" was all he muster. He felt ashamed of his actions. He was so in love with her and acted on pure lust and emotions for her, but couldn't finish the job.

"We should talk about it."

"Nami… I'm sorry. It's my fault."

She removed her ear buds that had been hanging in her ears and spun her chair to look at him. She was only able to see his back and he slouched slightly.

"Sanji, we're both adults here. Besides I-"

What was she going to say? I love you? I need you? She swallowed hard. It was now or never to tell him how she really felt.

Sanji never moved from his spot waiting for her to finish what she was saying.

"Sanji I-"

She was cut off by a loud, annoying ring-tone that shouted, "Its work! Its work! Pick up or your ass is fired! Its work! Its work! Pick up or your ass is fired!" Who had a ring-tone like that? It was loud and high pitched.

Sanji reached into his pocket and pulled out his smart phone.

"I'm leaving now." he grumbled into the phone.

She couldn't make out the words of the voice on the other end but it sounded upset.

"I told you I'm leaving now. Keep them busy as long as you can... ... ... I'll be there in thirty minutes. ... Why? I'm walking that's why. ... ... I know, I know. Like I said, I'm leaving."

He didn't even give a proper 'goodbye' to the mystery caller. He had ended the call with a push of the screen. He was about to move again when Nami spoke up a bit.

"Sanji…"

"Later… ... ok? I promise." he sighed in exhaustion.

He couldn't stand being this rude to Nami, but he couldn't look her in the face. He walked into the hallway and made his way to his shoes. Nami peeked out from her door and could still only see his back. His shoes were now on and placed a hand on the door knob.

"I guess I'll be heading out now…" he said. His voice was low.

Nami was now standing in the hallway and grabbed onto her left arm with her right hand. She needed something to hold in her hands.

"Sanji…"

"Hmm?"

"Be safe on your way to work…"

He turned his head to glance at her and wished he hadn't. Her gaze was towards the floor, and her hand was holding onto her arm. She looked uncomfortable, but in truth, she was hurt.

"Thank you." was the only thing he could muster.

With that, he walked out of her door leaving her alone in her hallway.

* * *

Nothing happened the rest of that weekend. She finished her paper but still no word from Sanji. When he said 'later' just what did he mean?

Robin ended up coming home Sunday morning wearing Zoro's clothes. No surprise there. Robin had asked about the bed sheets on the couch and Nami partly spoke the truth.

"Sanji stayed over Friday night but I didn't get a chance to put everything back. This paper from Mr. Dile has been taking up my precious weekend."

Robin only gave her a sympathetic look and then a look of shock came to her face. "I didn't write my final draft!" she shouted as she ran into her room. And that was the last she saw of Robin that day.

* * *

Nami went through her normal routine of getting up after her alarm set off. It was early Monday morning again. Outside her window, grey mist had pushed its way into the landscape and the sky wasn't being friendly with her today. She wasn't looking forward to the weather or seeing Sanji but her heart said she needed to. She would be seeing Sanji for the first time since they last spoke.

Her stomach felt uneasy about it. What would he say? What would she say? She knew she wanted to say something to him. At least to know how much damage had been made to their relationship.

She threw on her black skinny jeans, a soft pink tank top, a simple cream colored cardigan that hugged her curves but was very roomy, and her usual converse. She wanted to be cute and warm. She pulled her hair into a bun leaving her bangs and few long strands down which gave her a delicate look. She gave herself a final look down in her mirror was off.

.

.

There were a couple minutes still left to spare when Nami entered the classroom. As she sat at her desk, the mood in the room was it's usual social networking playground. There was still no sign of Sanji. She could clearly see Usopp and Luffy laughing about something with the neighboring students they became acquainted with. Not too long after she felt a slight breeze pass by her and the familiar smell of mint. She turned around to see Sanji slouching in his seat casting a big yawn.

He never once acknowledged her and she was beginning to feel her stomach pull. She sat next to him in silence thinking of anything to say.

"Lovely weather we're having today.." she said in a cheerful voice. _'What was that? Of course it's not fucking lovely. It's gloomy as hell! Could you have said anything more stupid?' _she chided to herself.

Sanji turned to her with his eyebrows raised in confusion. Today was shitty weather. Was she stoned off of her rockers?

"Ummm I suppose..."

She was embarrassed. She could have said anything other than that.

"Sanji I think we should-"

"All right class! Because I'm such a wonderful professor, I'm giving you a surprise test and then you're free to leave!" shouted her professor.

"I'm seriously going to kill that man…" she muttered.

Students were groaning or cheering at the suggestion. Today was a gloomy, cold day. Who would want to be cooped up in a classroom when they could be sleeping?

The assistants shuffled around the room passing tests to students. Although she was on an isle seat, Sanji had received his test before her. He made no notion to look at her while he passed her a test sheet. Her heart sunk a bit. Maybe he just wanted to get his test over and done with. Hopefully…

Nami filled out her test with ease. For a test to see if your students were paying attention, these questions were very easy. To her at least. She could hear muffled groans around the room and smirked to herself.

Fifteen minutes into her test and she had ten more questions to go. Sanji abruptly gathered his things and made his way to the front of the class. Never looking at her. Nami feared this would happen. She quickly filled out the rest of her test and made her way to the front. Her professor gave her a slight nod of approval and she turned on her heels to get her things. She looked at Luffy and Usopp who were staring at her for answers. She simply gave them her apologetic smile and left.

She knew Sanji wouldn't stick around for her today.

Her body felt heavy. She could hear the heavy patters of raindrops against the giant glass windows that adorned the long halls and sighed. Today was going to be hard on her heart.

She finally reached the end of the open hall that looked out onto the rest of the campus and stood there. She glanced at her watch and sighed. Eight twenty five… She was tired, upset, and hungry and Sanji was clearly avoiding her. If he didn't want to have anything to do with her then he should have just said it. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when she heard an unfamiliar voice speak up from behind her.

"Now what is a beautiful lady like you doing here, staring into nothing?"

She turned her gaze to a tall man with a white long sleeve shirt and a pair of black jeans with biker boots. His tanned skin seemed to suit him very well. Her wore black square rimmed glasses and a small goatee on his chin with gold earrings. She looked up at his black, short, yet tousled, hair. Bed hair really seemed to fit him well.

He had black and yellow messenger bag slung over his side with his hand tugging on the strap to keep him from choking. She could see the tattoos that adorned his hands and fingers. This guy was pretty sexy looking. If she weren't in love with Sanji she'd probably be attracted to this guy.

She only stared at him. Who was this guy? And why did he look familiar?

The man saw her having a hard time and broke their awkward silence.

"I'm in your math class…" he said with a smile.

Nami stopped to think for a moment and her face began to light up.

"Now you know me." he chuckled

"Your name is Law… right?"

"The one and only."

"Ah…"

"…"

This was awkward. Nami didn't even know the guy. She only sat near him. _'Nami say something…anything. This guy tried to strike a conversation with you. The least you could do is be polite and start one with him too'_ She scolded herself.

"Lo-Lovely weather we're having today." she stuttered. _'Again with this crappy line! Nami are you stupid? People are going to start thinking weird things!'_

He blinked at her a bit and suddenly started laughing.

'_Great, now he thinks you're stupid…'_

"Well, I suppose it has a certain appeal to it." he said with a big smile.

She glanced at the rain and smiled slightly. She was in a bad mood but something about this guy put her at ease. He has the appearance and aura of someone very intimidating but his personality is insatiable. She was about to say something else when her stomach made the loudest growl in the history of time. Her face turned red and she turned around. She reached for her umbrella only to have it quickly taken by Law. He opened it for her and held his arm out for her to grab.

"Care to join me for breakfast?"

"Oh, uh, no that's ok. I was just going to kill some time-"

"Then kill some time eating breakfast with me."

Breakfast with a handsome man didn't seem all the bad but she didn't know him.

"I don't know…"

"It's just breakfast."

"I have class at nine thirty."

"It's eight thirty right now." he interjected. "My treat." he added.

And there it was. One of the famous lines that Nami didn't like refusing. But it wasn't just the offer of free food. Something about him pulled her to him. She still didn't know who this guy was but she hesitantly hooked her arm under his and they headed for the nearest cafeteria.

To be continued

* * *

**HEY GUYS SORRY FOR THE CRAPPY CHAPTER. My brain went mushy and I found myself describing things like an elementary school student. I think its the cold I have that's causing it. **


	9. Swinging with ice cream and alcohol

Breakfast in the cafeteria was quiet. She would glance at the man across her with skeptical eyes from time to time as she ate. It had been ten minutes of silence as the two ate. The man didn't budge or show any signs of insecurity and it bugged her. She found herself speaking out of suspicion.

"Name." she grumbled.

"I'm sorry?" he asked.

"What is your full name?"

He only smiled at her and sighed. He knew she was very skeptical of him.

"Trafalgar Law."

"Age."

"Twenty five."

"Major."

"Medicine. But I'd like to be a surgeon."

"Freshman?"

"Junior. The program changed a little when I was on vacation. So I'm stuck taking a few extra per-requisite courses."

"What do you want?"

"Sorry what?"

"What do you want? Guys don't talk to me unless they're hitting on me or they want sex. If its those then forget about it."

"Nami, as beautiful as you are, don't get too full of yourself. If I was the man I was before, you'd have been mine a long time ago."

Nami flinched at this remark. She felt a little upset but let it go. If he wasn't into her then why was he talking to her?

"Then what do you want?" she grumbled.

The charismatic, yet very laid back man with an intimidating front, grew a bit hesitant and furrowed his brows.

"You're one of Chopper's closest friend's… Do you know if… Never mind."

"Out with it." she crossed her legs and folded her arms. Why was he asking about Chopper?

"Is he… …"

"'Is he…' what?"

"...seeing anyone?"

Nami blinked in confusion. Law's face was obviously embarrassed but it looked like he was mad.

"I don't see why that's any of your…oh…OH! Do you… swing that way?"

He regained his composure and cleared his throat trying to find words to say but couldn't.

Nami's skeptical glare had turned into a smile. She began to admire his actions a little. Though they weren't direct, he was taking his first steps into getting closer to someone he liked.

He finally spoke up.

"So yes or no?"

"No."

"Does he swing my direction?"

Nami had to think about it. This was the first time she ever thought about Chopper's orientation. He was seventeen, good looking, a great person, and adorable. Girls always fawned over his innocence. Guys felt the need to protect him or treat him like a little brother. But what was his orientation?

"To be honest, I have no idea. He's never shown any interest in either gender. He's always been thought of as someone to protect or a little brother, or an adorable boy by other people. He does appreciate the attention he receives but he's not full of it. I know he loves me and the rest of his friends but that's a familial love. Sorry, Law but even I'm at a loss."

"I see… Then what can I do to get closer to him?"

"Do you have him for any classes?"

"Chemistry, but he doesn't need help. I don't even need help."

"Compliment him."

"What?"

"Compliment him. Chopper has a thing for compliments with his handy work in school and medicine. He'll laugh it off and be modest about himself but its quite obvious he appreciates it. You can see he wants to brag about himself sometimes but because he's such a good boy he doesn't. He doesn't want people to think he's full of himself, which he isn't."

"I see. Thank you… Why are you helping me?"

"I don't know. Maybe I think it's a little endearing? I know a lot of people who 'swing that way' and I've seen how hard it is on them."

She sipped her coffee and then shot him her death glare.

"But let me tell you this now Law, I still have my suspicions of you. If you hurt him in any way, you can bet that a knife will come searching for your family jewels and your voice will raise ten octaves higher. You understand me?"

Law only smiled and nodded. Inside, he secretly began to fear this woman.

Nami sighed and leaned into her chair and smiled. "Good."

She looked at her watch and sighed. Nine o'clock. Why was time moving so slow today? She was so sure that breakfast and a conversation would have taken a lot of time.

"Nami, would it be ok if we exchanged numbers? That way I can get a hold of you on our little… business…?"

"Sorry Law but I don't have a phone."

"Ah I see don't worry about it. It's understandable that you still don't trust me."

"No that's not it.."

Nami had another twenty minutes to kill before class started so she told him her story.

"I see. It must have been hard you. Well no worries. I can always see you on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Is there anywhere else that I can find you?"

"Well during lunch I'm always in the cafeteria by the library. After school, I don't do much so I usually kill time in the Library with Sanji."

Sanji. Saying his name finally brought her back to the realization that she had to see him in class again. Would he avoid her again? She didn't want to think of that right now. She was having a conversation with Law.

"Did you want to join my friends and I for lunch? Chopper will be there." she giggled.

Law only coughed slightly and smiled in appreciation. He was thankful he had spoken to Nami. She returned his smile and looked at her watch. Nine twenty five.

"CRAP! LAW I'M LEAVING! CLASS STARTS IN 5 MINUTES! SEE YOU AT LUNCH!" she shouted. She gathered her things and ran like her life depended on it. Leaving her umbrella behind.

* * *

Nami slammed the door open panting desperately. She was soaking wet from the rain. Everyone in her class only stared. Her professor was still sleepy but that sudden slam caused her heart to race.

"Miss Nami! Enter like normal people do! You're going to kill me with an indirect heart attack!" her professor shouted with a hand over her heart.

"I. Know. I'm. Sorry. I didn't. Want. To be. Late." she said through her gasps.

"Well you're on time but don't make this a habit."

Nami simply nodded and took her seat between Zoro and Sanji after catching her breath.

"Oi, where were you?" whispered Zoro

"I was eating with a friend. Speaking of which, do you mind if he joins us during lunch?" she whispered back.

'_He?'_ thought Sanji.

"Luffy lets anyone in. If you give him a green light then Luffy does too."

* * *

Nami hadn't seen Law enter the cafeteria just yet. She had saved a seat next to Chopper and herself just for him and felt a little stupid. She was glad that her last class was over for the day. Nami was still wet from the rain and could feel herself shiver every now and then. She glanced at the door for the twelfth time and there Law was. He looked a little tired. His face lit up as he caught sight of her rise from her seat waving him to come over. He felt a little awkward. He barely knew Nami. He knew a few of her friends as aquantances but they weren't on the best of terms.

"Sorry I'm late Nami. Group projects are not my thing and my group members are lazy." he said with a sheepish smile.

"Don't worry about it. No one started eating yet so sit and get acquainted with everyone."

She turned and pulled onto his arm catching her friend's stares. Franky, Zoro, Sanji, and Luffy had been missing from the table because they left to grab everyone's food.

"Guys, this is Trafalgar Law. He's the friend I was telling you about. He's joining us today because I told him to."

"Hello." was all he could muster. This was definitely awkward.

Chopper looked at him for a moment and his face suddenly lit up.

"Ooooh! You're in my chemistry class! Nice to meet you! Sit next to me! There's a lot I want to ask!"

Law looked at Nami and she gave him a reassuring smile. "Make a good impression" she whispered.

He nodded and sat next to Chopper, who was very happy to see him. Usopp and Brook broke the ice with some lame topics about 'majors' as Chopper's eyes never left Law. He was overly excited now. Knowing Law had the same major as him, Chopper stole most of the conversations from Usopp and Brook. Soon, Chopper and Law were locked in a deep conversation about diagnostics and surgical procedures.

Nami took her seat next to him and began chatting with Robin who sat next to her.

Not much later did she hear Sanji shout, "Hey, what's this bastard doing here?"

Their attention turned to the familiar blond who was scowling. He had placed the girl's lunch plates on the table and glared at Law.

"Nami, _this_ is the friend you were talking about?" Zoro asked with a raised eyebrow. His voice was calm but a little unsure.

Franky said nothing but Luffy only grinned. "Long time no see!"

"Yes, long time no see Luffy." Law said with a confident smile.

"Oi, no one answered me yet, what is this guy doing here?" Sanji grumbled

"Sanji, he's _my_ friend, so shut up and eat." Nami lectured.

"Ah Law, you're eating with us?" shouted Luffy. His grin never left his face.

"Oi, Luffy this guy is an asshole!" Sanji brought back up again.

"It's been two years. Besides he's saved my ass a few times when Chopper wasn't around."

"Well if it makes you that uncomfortable then I could leave…" Law started.

"Yea you should." snorted Sanji.

"But I was invited and leaving right away is rude." he smirked towards Sanji.

Sanji didn't like his attitude. He didn't like the fact that this guy was hanging around Nami. Law had a reputation of being a womanizer which pissed off Sanji, who was a gentleman. The two were always arguing with each other. They were like fire and water. They didn't compliment each other at all and when combined, they created a lot of unwanted steam.

Zoro wasn't too skeptical of Law. He had a few fist fights with him but didn't care much about it. He was an ok person to be around when he wasn't picking fights.

The table was really quite as everone watched the two men stare each other down and Nami was getting really irritated. She suddenly grabbed at their nipples and began to twist hard.

"Enough! Stop acting like little fucking snot nosed brats and be nice!" she growled.

Zoro and Robin chuckled and Luffy burst into tears and laughter. Ussop and Franky cried a bit in their eyes as they covered their nipples and Brook and Chopper stared with their mouths agape.

"Nami don't do that! You could damage the soft tissue cells that underline their nipples!" Chopper shouted.

Nami sat down and started to eat her lunch with a sudden change of expression.

"So how was everyone's day so far?" she grinned.

'_What a complete change in personality!'_ Everyone thought.

Law rubbed his sore pectoral and leaned a little closer to her. "Nami, you forgot your umbrella this morning." he said as he handed her the umbrella.

"Why am I always leaving this behind on rainy days?" she groaned.

* * *

The rest of the day had gone smoothly but Sanji was still avoiding her. She wasn't as pissed since she got to twist his nipple earlier at lunch. That was payback for avoiding her and for not finishing the job.

She sat at her usual spot in the library doing homework while waiting for Sanji. Would he even come? He was avoiding after all. She was stressed and she was mentally exhausted and still cold from getting soaked. Her clothes were officially dry but she knew she was going to get sick. The worst way to dry your wet clothes was to stay in them and sit in air-conditioned classrooms.

She placed his exercises across from her in case he came by and shivered a bit. She could feel it in her bones that she was cold, no matter how warm the library was. She was regretting that she didn't stop by the coffee shop to get something warm.

She stopped what she was doing and started to rub her temples. This was going to be a long, rainy week. She couldn't stand the thought of Sanji avoiding her. Just then a familiar tuft of yellow hair stood into her field of vision.

"Sanji, about today's tutoring-" she started.

"Ah sorry Nami-swan, I can't stay today. Can you give me everything here? Of course I'll still pay you for today's lessons."

She only nodded and felt hurt. She motioned her head in the direction she placed his exercises and looked at him again.

"Sanji, why can't you stay?"

"I've got stuff."

"Stuff?"

"Yes stuff…"

"That's bullshit. Its not stuff. You're avoiding me and its obvious. I'm sorry things happened the way they did but I don't want us to stop being friends. Can't we just forget this ever happened?"

"I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Nami, I made a mistake and I don't think we can fix it."

'A mistake'. Those were the words she feared the most. That was the last thing she wanted. Her eyes began to sting with unshed tears. She titled her head back to keep them from teaming up with gravity.

"Is it really that bad?" her voice shook. She was desperately fighting back her tears.

She gathered her things as she continued to speak.

"It's only a mistake if you didn't learn anything from it… Well, if you hate me that much you should have said so from the start." she laughed a little. She was hurt but she'd rather try to make it out as a joke than what it really was.

"Nami I don't hate-"

"Well, we were friends first and that's how I'll treat you. I'll still tutor you too if you want. I can't chase away my only source of income." she laughed out more confidently as she slapped his arm.

"But hey, if its too much trouble then don't worry about it. I was offered a job recently and I'm still debating on taking it or not. Well that's your exercise for the day. Hand it to me on Wednesday anytime and I'll give you your next installment. I'll even lower your charge to thirty five Beli since it seems we won't be spending much time together. Besides, that's the friend price I first gave you."

She lied about a job offer. This was her way of seeming cool. She smiled at him but never made eye contact and began to walk away. It took everything she had not to break down right there and then. Suddenly, Law happened to walk up to her.

"Hey Nami I was just looking for you. I-" he stopped. He knew something was up. She didn't meet his gaze and he could see tears barely hanging onto the edge of her eyes. He looked and saw Sanji with a pained expression on his face.

"Oh hey Law perfect timing. Let's go and get something warm to drink. I'm frozen to the bones." she said cheerfully as she pulled onto his arm.

He didn't argue with her. He could see the pain that crossed her face and knew she needed someone right now. He gave Sanji a courteous nod and followed behind Nami.

Sanji sat down and buried his face into his hands. _'What have I done?'_

* * *

As soon as Nami and Law made it outside of the library, she leaned against the wall and watched the rain slow down; almost coming to a complete stop. She closed her eyes, took a deep inhale, and let her tears finally fall. She laughed softly and thought, _'The sky seems to understand my feelings though you stop raining as I start crying.' _

Law only stood there, watching her silently cry. It wasn't like he hadn't seen a woman cry before. He used to do it routinely. But this time was different. He felt bad for her. Was it because she called him a friend?

"Tell me, which one is better in a situation like this? Ice cream? Alcohol? Maybe both?" her voice was soft and almost inaudible.

Law didn't expect this from her. He only knew her for a day but it was more than enough to get a fix on her cheerful spunky personality. This was something he wouldn't have imagined. He figured she'd be like Godzilla going on a rampage in a moment like this, but here she was, shattered like a porcelain doll that fell from its highest cabinet.

He bent down in front of her urging her to hop onto his back. He knew she lost the will to move. He knew the feeling all too well. She only looked at him with a blank stare.

"Nami, I can't carry you if you don't hop on."

She shuffled her bag onto her back and climbed on to his. When she was secured onto his back, he stood and began walking. His back was much more broad than she expected. He looked quite lean from what she observed all day.

She didn't say anything and neither did he. He let her cry into the back of his shoulder. He wasn't going to keep her at school. He finally broke their silence.

"Nami, where do you live?"

* * *

Sanji threw his things to the black wooden floors of his apartment. He was pissed off. Not at Nami, but himself. He let her run away from him, again. He wasn't upfront about anything. He lied to her. He was a coward. This whole ordeal left an unsettling ache in his chest. He didn't realize how hurt she'd be. He was being a dick. He disregarded everything that happened Friday night claiming it was a mistake. He thought it would have been best since she hadn't said a word about her feelings towards him. He didn't want her to consider it a mistake. But he was wrong. She was clearly letting him into her life that night. He felt overjoyed that night. But instead, he ran away like a coward.

Today's event in the library made his mood even worse. At least she was brave enough to talk about it, unlike him. That's what upset him the most. In the end he was trying to protect her…right? Maybe he was just trying to protect himself rather than her.

He felt awful with himself. The conversation kept flashing back through his head.

"_Is it really that bad?" _'Her voice was shaking.' he thought.

"_It's only a mistake if you didn't learn anything from it… Well, if you hate me that much you should have said so from the start." _'She was trying to smile to keep herself from tearing'

"_Well, we were friends first and that's how I'll treat you. I'll still tutor you too if you want. I can't chase away my only source of income." _'She was laughing trying to sound friendly and reassuring.'

"_But hey, if its too much trouble then don't worry about it. I was offered a job recently and I'm still debating on taking it or not. Well that's your exercise for the day. Hand it to me on Wednesday anytime and I'll give you your next installment. I'll even lower your charge to thirty five Beli since it seems we won't be spending much time together. Besides, that's the friend price I first gave you." _'If only I said something!'

Sanji didn't want her to leave. He wanted to reach out to her and confess everything right there and then. But he saw Law. His heart wretched at the thought that he pushed her into a womanizer's arms.

They were just friends right? It was a one sided love on his end…right? Sanji was over the top pissed off now. What would he say to her when they were face to face next time? Could he look her in the eye and pretend everything was normal? To keep pretending that everything was alright between them?

He made his way up into his room and crashed onto his bed. He didn't even change his clothes, but simply removed his shoes. Everything about Nami had made him happy but he pushed her away. The fine line of their friendship had been tugged at the seams and couldn't be sewn back together.

* * *

Law had carried Nami into her front door to hear Robin and Zoro talking over the television. It sounded like they were having fun.

"Welcome home Nami!" Robin shouted from the living room. They got up and made their way to the hallway with a look of shock and concern.

"Nami!" Robin exhausted from her mouth.

"She's fine, she fell asleep on the way here."

"Oi, why were you even carrying her in the first place?" Zoro cut in.

"It's a long story. Is there someplace I can lay her down? She's not heavy but this isn't good for her joints if she stays like this any longer."

Robin made a simple nod for him to follow her down the hall and led him into her room. He was in a daze of what happened but was brought back when Robin pushed the covers from the bed so he could lay Nami down. He could feel Zoro's presence behind him in the door frame, watching for anything funny. Law sat on the bed's edge and detangled her arms letting her body fall softly against the mattress.

"Oi, so are you going to tell us what happened?" Zoro grumbled. He didn't like the idea of Law coming in with a sleeping Nami.

Law leaned over the bed with both hands around her waist as he pushed her farther into the bed so she was lying more comfortable.

"Zoro, Robin, I'm not at liberty to give that information away."

"Oi, you little punk, you better say something or-"

"It's fine. I understand." Robin said, with a reassuring smile towards both men.

"Robin you can't be serious?"

Law rearranged her legs and then moved down to untie her shoes and pulled the covers over her and straightened his posture.

"Zoro, please listen to Robin. I can't tell you what happened today. She'll tell you herself if she feels like it. I'm only respecting her privacy." Law exhaled.

Zoro huffed a bit and nodded. Robin simply smiled and offered a cup of coffee to Law but he politely refused.

"I have work soon. Oh, and Robin, I can tell she's not going to want to leave the apartment tomorrow. Can you take notes for her tomorrow? You have her for sociology right? I'll give you her math work tomorrow during lunch too if that's ok?"

"I don't mind but why don't you come over after your classes? I have a feeling she won't talk about it to me if she let you do all the work today. I hate to ask, and it pains me a bit, but she might talk to you instead. If its not too much trouble."

"Well I don't have anything better to do and I owe her a favor anyways so I guess its ok."

Robin gave him an appreciative smile and Zoro saw him to the door.

"Hey, you haven't known Nami for long… What makes you think you know more about her than we do?" Zoro asked. His tone was a more curious than upset.

"Zoro, its me. Remember, I've got a reputation of being with countless of women. You think I wouldn't have learned something about them?"

And with that, Law was off to work.


	10. THE Law

Tuesday had been exactly what Law had predicted. She didn't go to school. She avoided any conversations from Robin that asked about what happened yesterday. But ultimately, she just wanted to be alone. Somewhere in Robin's gut, she knew Sanji was the reason but said nothing.

At around two in the afternoon Law came over as promised. He took off his shoes and headed straight to Nami's room.

***KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK***

"Nami it's me. I've got your homework."

He looked to his side to Robin. 'Is it open?' he mouthed to her.

Robin nodded and he entered her room and closed the door behind him. Nami was asleep, curled into a ball with her air conditioner on full blast. He made his way to the edge of her bed and did a look over on her room. It was clean and very orange. Her furniture was brown but the room had orange things everywhere. It even smelled slightly of oranges. She must have really liked oranges to go out of her way to decorate her room this way.

He looked at her sleeping face and sighed. Her eyes were extremely puffy and there were dried tear stains on her cheeks.

"Nami. Wake up."

She stirred slightly with a light hum but didn't wake up. He started to nudge her gently.

"Nami, it's time to get up." he said gently. It was loud enough to be heard but it was a very nice tone of voice he used.

She still didn't wake up. She only nestled into her blanket and pillow even more. Law was losing his patience. He knew how she felt but this wasn't going to get him anywhere. He didn't want to be there but he felt guilty if he wasn't.

Then he thought of something. He went to the other side of the bed and began to roll her towards the edge. Nami had just started to wake up when she realized she was at the edge of her bed. She heard Law mutter under his breath, "one...two…"

"Push me over and I'll find that knife I promised you." she grumbled.

"Well good morning sunshine. It's two-something in the afternoon. Get up. You haven't eaten anything yet right?"

Nami sat up and started rubbed her eyes. Sleep had been sinking back into her as she bobbed slightly. She really did sleep most of the day. She looked over to her left to see Law kneeling next to her.

"Oh hey, when did you get here?" she asked tiredly.

'_Is she seriously asking that? What happened to her threat?' _he thought.

"Not too long ago." He got up from her bed and began to rummage through a plastic bag that sat next to his school bag. He grabbed out a plastic container of mini doughnuts and handed it to her. She sat there staring at the doughnuts like they were aliens while he grabbed at his math book. He figured he'd give her the assignment while she ate.

"So there's not much homework. Just read through the chapter and do practice problems one to twenty five. That's all." he noticed her face was still fixed on the doughnuts like they weren't from earth.

"Nami, they're doughnuts. Do you know doughnuts? They're small fried cakes of sweetened dough, typically in the shape of a ball or ring."

"Shut up I know what doughnuts are. But what's with these flavors? Ube? Bacon? Mango? And what's this? Orange?" she picked up the orange looking one and sniffed it slightly, sighing that her guess was right. At least one row of mini doughnuts seemed edible.

"Hey, be grateful I brought you anything at all. So eat it or pay up." he chided.

'Pay up' wasn't an option. She quickly popped the orange doughnut into her mouth and chewed slowly. Her mouth was extremely dry because she had just woken up so she didn't want to take any chances of choking.

"So? Am I right? This is the first meal of the day?"

She didn't say anything but nodded to answer his question.

"You slept all day?"

She bounced her head from side to side indicating a 'yes and no' answer. She finally finished chewing her doughnut and looked at Law. He was obviously uncomfortable in there.

"Thank you… for yesterday… and the doughnuts..."

"Yea you better say 'thank you'. I could have left your ass on the sidewalk but I'm just a really nice person. Besides, I've been in your shoes before. Though, I didn't have anyone to carry me home. I had to force my ass to walk for thirty minutes in order to get home. So consider yourself lucky chick."

"Lucky, sure… But you are right about one thing, you're a really nice person." She smiled.

Law smiled but sighed soon after.

"Nami, I'm not going to pry into your personal shit. You can talk about it if you want but its not my business unless you want it to be. I honestly think its something you should talk to Robin about since she's your best friend."

Nami looked down at the container of doughnuts and picked up another orange doughnut. She contemplated on the idea as she began to chew into it. She looked at law with a pleading face and glanced at the door.

"Oi, now you're being spoiled. You get her."

Nami only looked back down onto the doughnuts and Law sighed.

"You know, she's pretty worried about you. She was hovering over me the afternoon I dropped you home." he said as he quietly made his way to the door. "Plus she's been hovering at the door since I got here." he suddenly opened the door to see a slightly embarrassed Robin standing in the doorway.

Nami giggled through her doughnut when she saw Robin. Law had shuffled back to the edge of Nami's bed when Robin spoke up.

"Well hello Nami. It's good to see you awake. Do you want something warm to drink? Your room is colder than the rainy weather outside." Robin said rubbing her arms.

Nami nodded with an appreciative smile and Robin went to get them some warm drinks.

"See. You have a girl to talk to. So that means I can head out."

He moved a bit to get ready to leave when Nami quickly grabbed onto the sleeve of his hoodie. He looked down and his face frowned a bit. She hadn't let go but that wasn't what was bothering him.

"Hey, don't wipe your fingers on my clothes." he muttered.

She felt embarrassed and leg to immediately. "Sorry, I just didn't want you to go…"

"Then say so. Don't just expect people to read your mind." he chided.

Robin had entered with a tray of drinks and set them on Nami's bedside table. Law looked at her like she was super woman.

"Robin that was fast. Were you preparing for this moment?" he questioned as she handed him his mug.

"Everything is instant and the water was already hot. Take it or leave it." she responded with a smile.

"Thank you." Nami said with a smile as she was handed her mug.

Hot chocolate was her favorite beverage on cold days like these. She always liked sweet things so this was perfect.

"Nami, if you don't mind, can I ask what happened?" Robin asked, with a look of compassion, concern, and curiosity.

Nami hesitated for a moment and then explained her feelings about Sanji since high school and then proceeded to what had happened Friday night. Law tried to maintain his composer at the part where she said, 'Sanji fell asleep before he could finish the job", but found himself laughing hysterically. Nami's face was red with embarrassment and furry and Robin pinched his nipple.

"Ahhhh! I'm sorry! I'll stop laughing! Just stop pinching! It's still bruised from when Nami did it!" he pleaded.

"Nami, I will admit that part is funny but I find that part unsettling. And I can understand your feelings. Zoro has done it a few times and I have to say that-"

"HAHAHA! Both you and Nami sure have bad luck with the men you set your sights on huh!" laughed Law.

This time both women grabbed and pinched at his nipples.

"I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I WON'T LAUGH ANYMORE! I PROMISE! JUST PLEASE STOP! IT HURTS!" he shouted. "Man, what's with you two pinching nips?" he asked as he covered his tenderness.

Nami only looked down at the rest of the doughnuts on her lap.

"Nami, was this perhaps your first time to attempt something like _that_?" Robin asked in a gentle tone.

Nami nodded.

"Wow, I wouldn't have guessed that your cherry wasn't popped yet. Your appearance and confidence says otherwise." Law said as he quickly covered his nipples. He was a bit unsure if he would get another pinch. "Sorry, that comment was uncalled for…"

Nami then continued with the rest of what had happened and how she ended up back home yesterday.

Robin sighed in disbelief. She didn't think Sanji could act that way towards Nami. She knew Sanji held the same feelings Nami had. Why was he acting this way?

Law placed a hand to his chin and hummed lightly to himself.

"I never thought he could be a dick to women. He always spoke of chivalry and shit like that."

"..."

"So Nami," Robin said as she placed her hand over Nami's. "…what do you plan on doing?"

"What do you mean? It's clear that I'm a 'mistake' he made. I'm just going to pretend nothing happened. It'll be hard at first and awkward but eventually things will be ok."

"Nami, that's going to be painful." Law interjected.

"I agree Nami. That sort of thing is like rubbing salt on an open wound."

"I know but what else can I do? The least I can do is to try and get back to that basic friendship we had. Besides, being able to stay beside the one you love is one of the privileges of being a friend, right?"

Robin smiled softly to Nami as her heart tugged slightly. Her actions were very endearing. Even if it meant pain along the way.

"Nami, why don't you just force your love on him instead? Just because he's being a dick right now doesn't mean he won't eventually come to love you." Law suggested.

"Law, I don't want him to hate me any more than he probably already does."

"Ok, ok, I understand. Well, if you ever get tired or finally decide to move on I can-"

Robin cut him off before having him finish. She didn't like the sound of what he was suggesting.

"Law, I approve that you're a good friend to Nami now. But I hope I don't see you two together as a couple. Especially during her time of need. I know about your reputation and I'm quite fine with you being her friend but I'll have to draw the line as anything more than that."

"R-Robin that's out of the question! Trust me, something like that won't happen!"

"She's telling the truth. Although that's a reputation that haunts me, it helps maintain my image."

"Image? That's a bad image to have. Why not make another reputation as being a one-woman-kind-of-man?"

"Because I bat for the same team." he said so nonchalantly.

Robin's expression never changed but a blush across her cheeks said lots of other things.

"Oh, I see. So is that the reason for the sudden addition to our table?" she giggled.

"Yup."

"May I inquire who it is, that you have your sights set on?" Robin was very interested in this newly discovered piece of information.

"Chopper." he said with confidence.

The blush on her face intensified slightly as certain scenarios crossed her mind but her face remained emotionless.

"I see. Well I think you'd make a lovely couple."

"What a change in decisions! You were so against me and Nami as a couple!"

"Yes, but now that I know your reputation is just there for image purposes, that means you're actually quite the devoted partner aren't you?"

"Thanks for your blessing." he said dryly.

"But I have to tell you, I don't think Chopper has even realized whether he likes girls or boys. He hit puberty a little later compared to most fifteen year olds. He was still short with a child like appearance and a higher pitched voice. The first summer after Nami disappeared, he went on a family vacation with his foster mother and came back, well, developed. To grow that much in three months is a little unbelievable but there are all sorts of hormones and supplements in today's foods so it doesn't seem that far fetched if you really think about it."

"What really? This is the first I'm hearing this!" Nami exclaimed in surprise. Robin only gave her an apologetic look for not saying anything. Weird things were something of the norm to the group and it didn't phase her to tell Nami.

"But Law," Robin continued, "I want Chopper to find out his orientation first. Even if he discovers he likes women, its not impossible for him to swing your way. Instead of pushing him one way, we should let him discover himself first. But I will say that Nami and I will help you out as much as we can. So for the time being, just be his friend. I can see he already looks up to you so its not impossible for some sort of bond or relation. Also, he's seventeen. You can't touch him legally. There is _a law_ you know."

Law only nodded to show he understood. But he had to crack a joke.

"Yes I know there's 'a law' because I'm _'a Law'_. That makes me 'THE LAW' since my initials are T. Law"

'_How lame can his jokes be?'_ both women thought as they grabbed for his nipples.

"Ok! Ok! I'm sorry! It hurts!" he yelped.


	11. Being honest

Wednesday finally rolled around and Nami was determined to be friendly, as if nothing ever happened between them. She threw on a cheerful smile and went along her daily class routine.

During lunch was no different. She made jokes with everyone, including Sanji, punched arms and slapped the back of heads, but she refrained from touching Sanji as much as possible. She only included him in conversations and jokes. _'This is easier than I thought.' _she inwardly giggled.

Sanji on the other hand still felt upset with himself. Seeing a cheerful Nami meant she was really keeping her promise about being friends. She really was a strong, brave person unlike himself. He found himself hesitant towards her jokes and smiles. He was completely unsure of how he should be acting. He was a coward after all.

Their tutoring session that day was the same as before. She cheerfully gave him his writing exercises, thought sincerely about his patterns, complemented his progress, and gave him her usual far fetch stories for him to write. Every time he would show the slightest bit of hesitance, she would excuse herself to the restroom or interrupt him with a completely random topic. She really was an amazing woman. Pulling stunts like that to stop him from making the situation turn ugly. It made him feel a little worse about himself. He wasn't man enough to face her. But here she was, reaching out her hand, waiting for him to take it.

The rest of that week was the same and he found himself easing into her positive, cheerful attitude.

On the weekend, he found himself throwing jokes her way like nothing had happened. Nami was right. They were friends first. If she was trying hard, then he should too. But he refrained from touching her just like she had to him.

Another week had passed with the same routine. Her and Sanji had accidentally brushed their shoulders or hands a few times and it drover her crazy on the inside. One touch from Sanji and her heart was pounding madly. Sanji didn't seemed phased by it but she was a raging typhoon on the inside. She tried her hardest to avoid his touch. Even if it was a pseudo-friendship she just wanted to be by his side.

* * *

The following Monday, Nami felt like she had been hit by a bus. Her joints were sore and she felt hot. One more week, and the last month of her summer semester would start; and things were getting hectic. She found herself studying late into the evenings, not eating properly, and to top it off, the stress of being around Sanji had been increasing.

She was glad Sanji was being receptive of them being friends, but she found it harder than she first thought. _'I really spoke too soon didn't I?' _she thought dryly.

She looked into the mirror and sighed. Her face was very pale. She grabbed onto her makeup kit and began running her usual skin tone color into her face. It made a big difference but you could still see the slight paleness. She was hoping no one would notice.

For the rest of Monday and Tuesday, it went by as she had hoped. No one noticed and she was glad. She didn't want any fuss over her lighter skin. At least that's what she thought.

Robin lived with her and picked up on her patterns immediately. She confided in Law and Zoro and they only kept watch from a distance. They would make her eat whenever they noticed she wasn't eating. She was slightly thinner and pale despite how well she hid it with her makeup. Her thinness wasn't something extreme but it was noticeable if you looked closely. But seeing the paleness through her makeup made them worry even more. If it was showing through her makeup, then how bad was her face without it? They were going to need to take action soon.

Sanji had noticed on Tuesday Nami's appearance and felt worried for her. He saw her pale face trough her makeup and noticed immediately the weight she had lost. Her beautiful, long orange locks had begun to lose their natural sheen and looked limp.

On Wednesday, during their tutoring session, he approached her about it. It was like any normal tutoring session they had. She did her homework and he did his exercises. He had finally been comfortable to sit next to her again so it was easier for her to see his mistakes and what not. She began to flip through a page when he started.

"Nami-swan are you eating properly? Your face is really pale and you've lost weight."

Nami's stomach dropped. Someone noticed, but not just someone; Sanji. She continued to flip through her pages and responded.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. If you have time to start a topic that means you're done writing right?" She made a grab for his paper with her left hand when Sanji held onto her hand.

His touch was warm, and brought back memories of that particular night.

"This isn't funny Nami, I'm worried about you. I can see through your makeup just how pale you really are. It's understandable that the other's hadn't noticed but I don't think it'll take Robin much longer to catch on that your sick."

'_Sanji, just stop. I'm at my limit of how much of you I can handle.' _she mentally pleaded

"Please let go of my hand."

"No. You can tell just by holding your hand that you're burning up."

"Don't… don't touch me." she said weakly.

"Nami…"

She pulled her hand away and gathered her things and headed out. Her heart was racing and she felt light headed. She needed to get away from Sanji. She'd rather be damned than to have him pity her. Sanji quickly shoved his things into his bag and ran after her. He wasn't done talking. He wasn't sure what he was doing but his body moved on auto-pilot.

Just as the elevator doors were closing he ran in at the last possible moment. She couldn't get away from him. He linked his arm onto hers and started calling someone on his phone.

"I'm not coming in today… yea… school… yea… bye."

"Sanji what are you-"

"No one else has noticed yet, but you can't fool me."

She used the heel on her sandals and stomped on his foot for him to let go. Just then the doors opened and she started to walk fast. Sanji followed behind her sending a mass text to meet up at Robin's. He was glad for the massive library. It gave him enough time to send another text to Zoro to help him out.

She made it outside when he grabbed a hold of her bicep. He was upset now. She was sick enough that her muscles were less defined.

"Stop! Don't Touch me! What are you doing!" she shouted.

"I'm taking you home. You're sick!" he shouted back.

He saw Zoro jogging up at the sound of Nami's shouting and grabbed her back pack and tossed it to him.

"Marimo, follow me." he growled.

Zoro listened. He secretly knew Nami was getting sick and with her stubborn, brash, personality, things were not going to end pretty. He was just glad Sanji stepped in before he could.

"Don't gotta tell me twice." he mumbled.

Sanji lifted Nami into his arms and began to carry her.

"This isn't a joke! Quit messing with me you bastard!" she shouted as she slapped his face. Sanji didn't flinch. He continued to carry her without fail to her apartment with her shouting most of the way.

About five minutes away from her apartment, she gave up and fell asleep. She was so tired and her throat was sore.

They made their way up her street and saw everyone, including Law, outside the apartment with Robin unlocking the door.

"OI OI! WHAT HAPPENED TO NAMI!" shouted Luffy

"Not now Luffy" Zoro grumbled.

Everyone made way for Sanji to enter with Nami in his arms. He made his way to her room and shuddered at how cold it was in there. Her body heat was raging. _'Crazy girl! This it not how you cool yourself down!'_

He gently fixed her into bed and grabbed some wash cloths from her bathroom.

"Robin I need a bowl or a basin!"

In no time at all she was in there with a wash basin she hadn't used. Sanji immediately filled it with water and turned off Nami's air conditioner. Robin understood the situation and opened Nami's windows for fresh air to fill the room.

Sanji rolled up the sleeves to his hoodie and began making the wash cloth wet, dabbing her forehead and her neck. She needed to cool down and fast.

Sanji looked at Robin with tired eyes and asked, "Where does she keep her pajamas?"

Robin went through Nami's dressers and pulled out a long sleeved button up pajama with matching long pants. She looked at Sanji with a little concern.

"Right, I'll be leaving. Do you want me to send Chopper in?"

Robin nodded and Sanji left the room switching places with Chopper.

.

.

In the living room, for the first time ever, they were silent. They had no idea what to make of the situation. Law stood in the corner against the wall, Brook and Ussop leaned against the kitchen counter, Franky and Luffy sat at the table, and Sanji and Zoro took over the couch.

"So, mind telling us what happened?" Zoro asked gruffly. He had some parts figured out but wanted a full explanation.

"Nami's sick. I confronted her about it, and she flipped out."

"Any reason why? If it was me she wouldn't have been that nasty and violent."

"That's none of your business." interject Robin. Everyone turned to gaze upon Robin who entered the living room with Chopper. Chopper sat on the 'L' part of the couch as Robin grabbed herself some coffee from the kitchen.

"This is everyone's business if curly brow sent a mass text!"

"Out of concern. Zoro, you and I knew something was off and Sanji acted out of concern when he noticed. Simple as that."

"Nami's never that nasty to us regardless of how pissed she is." Zoro added.

"Enough! She's only that way to me because I'm a dick. Simple as that." Sanji growled.

"What did you do, Sanji?" asked a concerned Luffy.

Now that Luffy was interested in the conversation things weren't going to end well.

Sanji sighed. If he didn't say anything, he'd get beaten and tortured until he did. Sanji inhaled deeply and began explaining the situation.

Before Luffy could get mad, Robin and Law added Nami's part to the story as Sanji sat there shocked. He had no idea she felt the same way let alone how hurt she was feeling. He knew she cared about their friendship but the damage to her heart was worse. He thought she only thought and cared for him as a precious friend. He was running away from her but she still kept reaching out to salvage what they had left.

Luffy was the first to speak up. His demeanor was calm and very serious for the goofy boy he normally was. "Sanji, you need to fix this soon. Friends or lovers I don't care, but I don't like the idea of Nami being hurt or even sick."

"Luffy it's not that simple."

"You love her right? It _is_ that simple. Besides she loves you too. Though, I think right now, she might want to beat you up." he said with a grin.

Sanji glanced around to see heads nodding in agreement.

If anyone could really pack a punch, it was Nami is her worst moods. If someone was going to taste her fist, it had better be Sanji.

* * *

It was now eight in the evening when Nami finally awoke. She sat up to see the familiar furniture that adorned her room and sighed. She glanced down to see a sleeping Chopper who started to wake up a bit.

"Nami… NAMI! YOU'RE AWAKE!" Chopper shouted.

Her ears were ringing at how loud the volume was. She didn't have time to react when he ran out and dragged Sanji into the room. Nami and Sanji stared at one another in complete silence as the door close behind them. It was awkward. It was silent. And the memories of this afternoon flooded Nami's face with embarrassment and anger. She bit her lower lip and thought of what to say.

She turned her gaze back to Sanji, who stood by the door, looking to the floor.

"Sanji, use that chair and come here." she muttered, motioning to her rolling chair.

He complied and sat to her right. It was still quiet and awkward.

"It's good to see you're still alive at least." he joked.

"Well sorry for being alive." she spat.

"Come on don't make a joke of it. I was really worried."

A moment of silence had passed and at the same time they spoke, "I'm sorry."

"I shouldn't have slapped you or yelled at you. It was uncalled for. I'm sorry." Nami said, with a low, grumbled voice.

She still didn't meet his gaze. She was still upset.

"Nami, I'm sorry for making you feel uncomfortable and having you force yourself to be friendly around me."

"Sanji we talked about this already." she groaned.

"No, _you_ talked about it. I didn't get a say in that conversation. You walked away before I could tell you anything. And I didn't stop you because I'm a coward."

"What…?"

"I haven't been honest with you from the start. I thought that it would have just been better, for both of us, if I just ignored what I really felt. I'm sorry for acting the way I did, but I wasn't sure of what I should have done. I thought I was chasing after you but actually it was the other way around."

"Why are you-"

"It wasn't exactly something I could tell you before. I thought you'd throw me away when you realized you made a mistake but actually…"

"Sanji, why are you so compelled to feel that way…?"

"Because ever since I first met you, you've been more important to me than anyone else. I always thought that if I could be the most important person in your life, then I could die happily. But I started to run away."

Nami's heart hurt. The words she wanted to hear most were finally heard. It made her feel good but she was still mad. She wanted to cry into his arms and melt right away but was too stubborn. Her emotions were a complete mess.

"Nami I-"

"Quit fucking with me! This isn't some kind of joke you asshole! I told you that night that if we kissed it was going to hurt!"

"Nami." he said, in a calm, tender voice.

"No! Don't say my name in that voice! Don't try to be so kind when you don't actually feel a thing for me!"

She began to cry and Sanji made a move to kneel in front of her on her bed. He knew it was risky but if he didn't move closer, it felt like the distance would only grow.

"Just stop already! I met you again and my life turned into a mess! I'm turning into the type of person I never wanted to become and its because of you! I'd be much more calm and collected if that night didn't happen! Why the hell should someone like _you_ be getting me so upset!"

Sanji leaned in closer and urged her forehead on his chest. She was in a whirlwind of emotions. She pounded on his chest but was too weak to leave any damage.

"Damn it! Why is someone like you … Damn it! This is the worst!" her voice cracked and she started to cough. He let her stay there while she cried.

"Nami, its because you love me too."

She didn't say anything.

"Nami I've loved you since before you disappeared and always thought of you. And after that night we had, I'd stop and realize that I'd been thinking about you the whole day and it would piss me off because of how I acted towards you." His voice began to raise in volume. "But I can tell you one thing - there's no one in this world I could ever love more than I love you. I shouldn't have ran away. "

He embraced her so fast the couldn't comprehend her situation at all. The sadness and anger that was creating turmoil inside her heart was quickly replaced with a calm, warm feeling. She almost couldn't believe this was real. This had to be a dream. It was a dream…right? His hands felt real. His body against hers felt real. She was happy.

"I must be really sick to be hallucinating this badly. Maybe I'm dying." she mumbled

"Hey that's not funny. This is very real."

"But, I'm just too happy right now…"

"Nami, look at me."

She lifted her head slightly but didn't look at his face. She was still afraid that if she saw his face, she'd wake up.

"Nami" he exhaled.

He placed a hand on her cheek and thumbed away a left over tear that had been sitting in her eye. Nami suddenly felt Sanji's lips coming down against hers. They were as warm and soft as she remembered. She closed her eyes letting another set of tears trail down her cheeks and responded to his kiss. She had nearly forgotten to breathe before they broke apart. Her heart pounded fiercely as she slowly opened her eyes to gaze into his.

"_Nami…_" he exhaled again, this time more intimately. She could feel his breath tickling her lips.

'_This guy. Just how many times does he plan on making my heart stop?'_

__TO BE CONTINUED!

* * *

**Hey guys its me! Hope you liked this chapter. I know I portrayed a bit too much drama but hey, it my AU. I'll write what I want. Got a problem? Write your own XD**

**-Rusala  
**


	12. What are we?

**CLICK**

'…_I'm a coward…'_

_._

_._

"…_I thought I was chasing after you but actually it was the other way around…"_

_._

_._

**CLICK**

"…_I thought you'd throw me away when you realized you made a mistake but actually…"_

_._

_._

**CLICK**

"…_Because ever since I first met you, you've been more important to me than anyone else. I always thought that if I could be the more important person in your life, then I could die happily. But I started to run away…"_

_._

_._

**CLICK**

"…_But I can tell you one thing - there's no one in this world I could ever love more than I love you…"_

_._

_._

Luffy and Usopp had been reenacting a love scene from the conversation Sanji and Nami had.

.

.

"YOU BASTARDS!" shouted Sanji as he chased around Luffy and Usopp. "I'M GOING TO SHOVE MY FOOT UP SO FAR UP YOUR ASSES THAT IT'LL SHOOT OUT OF OUT YOUR NOSTRILS!"

"AAAAIIIIIIII! GET AWAY!" cried Usopp.

"HAHAHAH! RELAX SANJI IT WAS ONLY INNOCENT FUN!" Laughed Luffy as he barely managed to doge Sanji's kick to the face.

"That stuff is private! You don't listen to those things and record them!" Sanji shouted.

Nami sat in her usual seat in the cafeteria with her hands laced - supporting her chin. "So it wasn't a dream." she sighed.

It was Monday again, June twenty fifth to be precise. All of that freak rain finally ceased and it was nice and sunny like summer should be.

After her sick episode last Wednesday, Sanji had spent everyday with Nami, after his classes and in between them. Cooking, cleaning, washing clothes, helping her with her notes from class - he really did care for her.

She liked the attention she was getting from Sanji but it wasn't the attention she wanted. He didn't hold her hand or kiss her. He would place his arm around her shoulders when they would talk in her room but that was the most contact she was receiving from him.

Why wasn't he touching her?

Sanji came back dragging two unconscious idiots and dropped them on the floor by Chopper.

"Well, that's that. And so, Luffy and Usopp had a slow painful death due to internal injuries and will be buried this Saturday at sea." he narrated.

"Ehhhh! Luffy, Usopp! Wake up! I gotta call a doctor! Wait, I'm just like a doctor! Doctor!" shouted Chopper.

"Now, now, Sanji wouldn't really be that horrible to his friends. Just relax Chopper." said Law, rustling Chopper's hair.

Chopper only nodded with a tear in his eye as Law continued to pat his had. _'I'm slowly killing myself here. His face is too damn cute…' _thought Law.

"Nami, I think it's SUUU-PER that you guys love one another! It was such a moving story and scene to listen to!" shouted a bawling Franky.

"Yohohoho! Indeed. Especially since Sanji works as-"

"-a simple cook at All Blue." Sanji continued as he slapped the backside of Brook's head.

"Sanji you're so cruel! I didn't do anything!"

"Yes you did. This is your recorder isn't it?" Sanji said as he slammed the device onto the lunch table that said 'Property of Brook'.

"Yohohohoho, I have never seen that in my life." Brook laughed nervously

"Oh really? Then I guess you wouldn't mind if I smash it." he said nonchalantly.

Sanji motioned to throw it to the floor when Brook tackled him down.

"Nooo! That's the latest mp3 player from Tone Dial industries! It has a special feature to record things too! All the songs I made are there! Not to mention my lecture notes! I promise I'll delete the conversation! Besides I didn't know they were going to use it for that!" he pleaded.

Sanji only 'tch' to him and handed the device back.

'_All Blue?'_ Nami thought. This was the first time she was hearing about his job. Wasn't that the name of his father's restaurant? She had forgotten to ask him those types of questions when he was with her. She felt a little bad. She knew he was a great cook back in high school and now but he never said anything about wanting to be a chef. He knew everything about her but she didn't even know the basics of him. She heard from Robin that he was asked to join the Culinary and Business departments but which was did he pick? Did he decide on both? He was sought out by the soccer team but was he actually doing it? These were clues to what he was doing but she had no definite answers.

"Hey, Sanji, are you free tonight? I was thinking maybe we could-"

"Ah, I'm really sorry Nami-swan. I've got work tonight and I'm pulling a double shift because I skipped out last week."

There was that 'swan' suffix. Hearing that suffix made her feel like he was keeping her at arms-length.

"Oh, I'm sorry you have to work a double shift… Ok! I promise not to get sick next time!" she said with a childish smile.

Sanji smiled softly to her. He loved her radiant smile he had. Everything about her screamed sunshine.

"Don't worry about it. I like spending time with you and you just happened to be sick."

"Are you sure? I feel bad that you have to work more hours."

"It's fine. It's just until Friday. I missed five days so I'm making them up…with a little interest." he chuckled.

Nami loved his smile. It showed off his boyish charm and handsome features. Not that he wasn't handsome to begin with. He was very attractive.

"Then what about now? I mean, what time do you work? Maybe we can just, you know, hang out before then?"

Sanji looked at his watch and thought for a moment. His didn't have to be there until seven and it was now twelve thirty. There was big time gap in between. He really did want to spend time with Nami, especially since she was asking.

"Yea, let me just take your tray and we'll head out." he said reaching for her tray.

"No its ok I got it." She said as she pulled it closer to her and stood up from her seat.

"Ladies shouldn't lift a finger in trivial matters like this." His hands were on the edges of her lunch tray.

"I insist." she said pulling it even closer while stepping back a bit.

"But so do I." he said with a playful smile. He was leaning close to her face trying to get her to let go. It made Nami's heart jump and a playful smile crept across her lips as well.

"But I'm not a proper lady."

"Ladies are ladies."

"Maybe I should have plastic surgery to become a man?"

"No, anything but that…" he grumbled under his smile.

"Then give me my tray. I'm a big girl Sanji."

"I got this."

"I already said it, I'm not a proper lady."

"Well if you'd like, I do offer tutoring sessions. For a fee that is." his smile was now mischievous and his eyes were loving and lustful.

She felt her heart stop again. She really liked this part of Sanji.

"Oi, you guys are gross! I'm still eating here and the last thing I want is to throw it back up. I have practice later." growled Zoro.

Sanji had let go of the tray and turned his attention to Zoro.

"Oi, don't act like you and Robin don't partake in those types of conversations! I'm still upset that a fine lady such as herself is with someone like _you_!" he spat back.

"It's because I'm great curly brow. Simple as that." he smirked.

"What's so great about a ball of moss? You're gross and need to be disinfected. But then again you fight back at disinfecting solutions and cause damage to people's bodies. We need to call the center of disease control to contain you." Sanji smirked back.

"Curly brow are you trying to start something?"

"You already started something. I'm just keeping it going."

Nami came back and placed her hand onto Sanji's arm. "Ok, I'm done lets head out." she said with a smile.

"Zoro, if you don't eat your food, Luffy's going to steal it." Robin said with a calm, smile.

Both men gave a final stare down to one another and gave a 'tch' as they returned to what they were doing.

* * *

Sanji opened the door for her and followed behind with one hand softly guiding her back as they exited through the heavy doors. Nami smiled as she slowly inched closer to him while they were walking. They were silent but she was realizing they were alone. This 'alone' was different from when he was taking care of her. She had yet to greet him as a person who was more than a friend now. She was hesitating. She was blushing. What should she do? Hold his hand? Link her arms with his? Sanji looked to his left and could see the frazzled look upon her face and chuckled inwardly. She was too cute right now.

"So," he spoke up, "do I make you that nervous?"

"Somewhat."

"How so?"

A playful smile began to play on his lips. He wanted to tease her a little.

"I don't know. You just do."

"That's not a clear answer."

"Sh-shut up. I don't know how to act around you."

"Huh?" Sanji was a little confused and pressed further. "What do you mean 'act'? You can just be yourself."

"That's not what I mean. Turn left." she said as she pointed towards correct direction.

"Then what do you mean?" he said close to her ear.

She jumped a little and used her right hand to cover her ear.

"What I mean is… I don't know."

"If you don't know then how will I?"

"Sanji," she said as they were approaching an ice cream shop, "what are we?"

"Human, I'm assuming." then he poked at her rib, causing her to giggle. "Though I'm not so sure about you."

"Be real Sanji, what is our relationship?"

Sanji was about to open his mouth but closed it again. He was stumped at her question. Even he couldn't answer her. It felt obvious that they were together but nothing had been said or agreed upon. He looked at her and searched her face for something. Anything to help him figure the answer out.

She sighed and gave a 'so-you-finally-realized' smile. The were standing in front of an ice cream shop and she was about to enter when he stopped her.

"Well, you're one of my really good friends. And you're the woman I love. I confessed to you and you shouted your anger and frustrations to me, which I'm assumed was your way of saying 'I love you'. So naturally, I'd feel like we were a legitimate couple."

"But we're not. At least not yet. We've…kissed…and…um…did a little bit of _stuff_…" She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks a little and pouted slightly. "I don't like or approve of the term 'lovers' because it implies something else. So does 'friends with benefits'."

"Nami-swan-"

"Drop the 'swan'. It feels like you're distancing yourself from me. If we're supposed to be, whatever we are, then wouldn't it make sense to call me Nami? It feels more personal that way."

"Ok, _Nami_," he said smoothly and huskily. He moved closer to her ear and continued, "What do you think we should to become more than friends?"

"Go on a date..?" she suggested.

He stood back and looked at her with a soft expression. He knew she was melting just looking at his face.

"Would you like to have ice cream with me?" he said, motioning his head to the door. He held out his hand and gave her his best smile.

'_He's being sweet...'_ she thought, amused by his romanticism. _'But lets change it up a bit.'_

"If I'm the lady you claim I am, then ladies don't like questions my dear sir.."

He was slightly taken aback. He knew she was smart but she was being a smart ass. He liked it. He searched her face and found a 'try-to-catch-me-smile'.

"Let's get ice cream."

"Too demanding."

"Shall we get ice cream?"

"You're suggesting? Hmm, I don't know." she was having fun. She could do this all day.

"Would you care to have ice cream with me?"

"That's another question."

He sighed. She was making this hard as payback for his teasing earlier wasn't she? He thought about the situation carefully. She was more than willing to play this game and she has always been clever like this since high school. Her skills now have gotten even better. If he was the gentleman he claimed he was then he had to step up his game. And then it came to him. He cleared his throat and straightened his posture and gave her an 'I-know-the-answer- smile'.

"I'm having ice cream, if you'd care to join me."

"I'd be delighted."

He opened the door and politely gestured her to enter. "After you."

* * *

Everyday up until Friday were the same. They would leave after lunch to embark on what she considered dates, before he had work. They were much closer now but he still didn't hold her hand. He was too much of a gentleman. And she still didn't know much about him.

Saturday morning she woke up to the sound of her doorbell ringing. She was hoping Robin would answer the door when she remembered that Robin was sleeping over at Zoro's. Wasn't that weird? He lived with Luffy of all people.

She groggily got up from her bed and slowly walked to the door. She forgot she was wearing her short pajama pants and her white tank top. She looked through the peep hole to see Sanji standing outside and her heart stopped. She ran to the bathroom to fix her hair but something felt weird about it. He was bound to see her with messy hair one of these days. She messed it up again and curled it slightly, giving it that sexy morning after tousled look and smiled. She looked good. And she was going to use it to her advantage.

She was still tired as she opened the door slightly but played along like she was overly tired. Her eyes squinted from the bright light outside. She got a better look at Sanji and felt like she could pass out from over excitement. His clothes were simple but they suited him very well. His black jeans were simple but hugged him slightly and so were the same black converse he wore. But the main even of his outfit was his shirt. It was an extremely simple navy blue polo shirt that hugged his lean, yet well toned body. It was so simple it was sexy.

"Morning." she said sluggishly, rubbing her eyes.

She opened the door to let him in and was greeted with a warm smile. "Did you just get up now?"

"Mhmm."

Sanji got a good view at what Nami was wearing and felt his heart race. If she was trying to seduce him, she was going a good job. Her short pants that showed off her thighs very well, her thin white tank top showed off her black bra slightly and a very good amount of cleavage, and her tousled hair made him want to grab onto her. She was dressed simply for sleeping but her outfit just screamed 'lets have a sexy morning together'.

"Sanji make yourself at home. I'm going back to bed." she yawned.

"Nami it's ten in the morning, I think it's time for you to wake up."

"Don't wanna." she pouted.

She turned on the balls of her feet to head to her room when Sanji noticed her hips and her ass swaying. Nami certainly had a way with walking in those pants. They weren't different from how she normally walked but in these clothes, it seemed like it had an 'invite' sign.

"Nami you're the one that said, "Let's hang out"."

"But I'm sleeeeeepy."

"Then I'll help wake you up." he said mischievously.

He made a dash for her and began to tickle her sides causing her to squirm. She held onto his hands trying to stop him but was failing.

"Sa-nji," she said between laughs. "I woke up not too long ago! I need to use the restroom!" she squealed.

Sanji ceased his actions and threw his hands up giving in. It was a good thing she said something. If she didn't stop him, he would have had a really angry and mortified Nami on his hands.

"I'll make you something to eat."

She turned on her heels and headed to her room. _'That was close! Any longer and I would have embarrassed my ass'_ she thought. That was the last thing she needed. Especially since her and Sanji's relationship was still fresh and in the building stages.

She quickly finished her business and headed into the kitchen with the smell of fried eggs filling her nose. She inhaled deeply and leaned against the counter. Seeing Sanji in his 'domain' interested her. She never did get to see him cook. He always brought food he had already prepared or bought it. So this was a treat for her. If she kept forgetting to ask about him, at least she could learn by silently observing.

"Nami I'll be done soon. Sorry its nothing extravagant."

"No don't worry about it. I appreciate you going out of your way to make something for me. I would have been fine with just a bowl of cereal so this is a real treat. So what's on the menu?"

Sanji turned around to escort her into the kitchen with a smile and professional attitude.

"Well madam, we have fried eggs with fresh toast and of course a bowl with several options of cereal to choose from. On the side here we have a fresh apple and a glass of orange juice with no pulp. Can I start you off on your choice of cereal?"

Nami giggled in satisfaction. She liked seeing what Sanji was possibly like while working.

"Will you be joining me my good sir? Surely I could not finish this alone." she said, playing along.

"I appreciate your kind invitation but I must tend to the dishes."

"Leave them. Just join me."

"Don't worry about it. I ate already."

"Pleeeaaaasssse?" she gave him her best puppy dog face and the moment he saw that, he was putty in her hands.

He pulled out a chair next to her and nibbled on a piece of toast with a fired egg sitting on top of it. He looked to Nami every so often to find her smiling. Was she really that happy he made her breakfast. If that was the case he would be more than glad to continue cooking for her.

"Thank you, for joining me. This is our first real meal together so I'm happy."

That was it.? Something as simple as eating together with him made her happy? She really did appreciated the little things in life.

He stood up to do the dishes when she stopped him. "I'll do them. I can't let my guest do everything."

She had gathered everything and began washing the dishes. Sanji definitely liked what he saw. Any kitchen was his heaven and seeing his 'fallen angel' in there made things all the more appealing. He couldn't help himself from smiling and admiring her. She really was beautiful and had a lively, cheerful attitude. He was glad he got his feelings across to her.

She had already finished cleaning and hopped onto the counter.

"Sanji, why do you avoid holding my hand?"

"Avoid? Nami I've been dying to join my hands with yours."

"Then why don't you?"

"Because I'm a gentleman."

"Well, no offense but this is the one time I want you to not be a gentleman. My hands are growing cobwebs." she giggled.

"I would, but we still haven't decided on what we are."

"Huh?"

"You brought it to my attention before and as a gentleman I wouldn't want to pressure you into things. But the man inside me wants to hold your hand, call you my girlfriend, and introduce you to many other people and well... ultimately, I've been waiting for six years for a chance like this and I don't want to screw up like I did not too long ago."

"Well, ignore the gentleman side or tell him to shut up because Sanji, a man, is going to talk to me."

He walked over to where she was sitting and stood right before her. He held onto her hands for the first time in a while and looked into her eyes. He was going to take this chance.

"Nami, will you be my girlfriend? Officially?"

"Hmmm, now that you say it out loud I'm not so sure. So tell me…no wait, don't tell me. Show me how you feel and I'll give you my answer."

She really was an incredible woman. To make Sanji want to ignore the gentleman inside him, he gave her props. She knew exactly what she was doing to keep him wrapped around her finger. Sanji smiled and leaned in to kiss her passionately. She could feel the heat, the want, the need, and the hunger pouring through his kiss. It was addictive. He released the kiss to hear her answer.

She looked up at him with lovely, lustful eyes and exhaled, "yes".

Nami slid her hands up the sides of his ribs until they linked around his neck. Pulling him closer, she had really missed holding him and kissing him like she did that fateful Friday night.

Nami began to trail light kisses down his neck. Her soft lips dragged against his skin as she worked her way around to the other side of his neck. Sanji was having a hard time thinking clearly of their situation when she began to explore his skin with the tip of her tongue.

He couldn't hold off anymore. He was a _man_ after all. He began to take control of the situation, kissing from her collarbone and gliding across her skin to her ear. He remembered how much she liked it when he nibbled her ear and gently brought his mouth to her lobe; feeling her shudder a bit from pleasure. He ran his tongue from the tip of her ear down to her neck and started to suck tenderly against her skin.

Sanji knew he should stop himself but with each passing kiss - he was losing himself. His hands traced down from her waist to the sides of her thighs, pulling her knees closer around his hips. The tips of his fingers dug softly into her smooth legs as he continued his kisses at her neck. Nami felt her lips covered by his again. His tongue demanded entrance into her mouth and she willingly obliged.

Carefully, she explored her hands over his toned sides beneath his shirt, and shifted her palms to glide down his back. She remembered the feel of his body all too well. She was desperate to feel more of him. She began to tug the bottom of his shirt up his lean body and helped him remove it. There was a difference looking at him now. It was consensual and in proper lightning. His body was truly as immaculate as she had witnessed that one night. This was Sanji, a man.

He slipped his hands under her shirt and rubbed the sides of her stomach. This was like last time, only she wasn't as hesitant. He lifted her shirt over her bra line and licked around her ribs and over her cleavage. He wanted to explore more, and began to go higher, lifting her shirt over her head and tossing it to the floor as he trailed kisses along her collar bone to her neck. He was being as sweet and slow as possible. He didn't want to completely lose himself.

She was enjoying every bit of his kisses and his hands. She trailed her hands to his lower back and used the tips of her fingers to lightly slide up to his shoulders. He shuddered slightly, feeling more arousal as she teased him with her fingers tips. She needed to get him to the arousal point she was hitting. She felt needy. She wanted to rub herself against him. She needed to rub herself against him. As he unhooked her bra from the back she fumbled with the button of his jeans...again.

"Nami," he said between kisses, "it seems like we're repeating this scene too much."

She felt embarrassed. She knew what he meant. She has no experience taking jeans off of someone else, let alone Sanji.

As soon as they were unbuttoned he began to lap and suck against her uncovered breasts. The feel of his tongue against her nipples were driving her insane. Had they always felt this sensitive? Was it just Sanji who was capable of making her breasts feel more sensitive?

"Sanji." she gasped.

She couldn't take his sweet sucking and kisses. She really needed to rub against him. She pulled his pants open and scooted to the edge of the counter feeling his erection press against her sensitive spot. She gasped again. It felt too good pushing against her. Sanji was going to pull away from her a little when she latched her legs onto him.

"N-Nami…" he stuttered, knowing he couldn't push her away. They were way past were they should have stopped. They didn't need to rush anything but she was looking extremely sexy half-naked in this kitchen.

Nami felt her heart racing as she tightened her grip with her legs. His body against hers felt so exciting. Much different than before. She kissed across the top of his shoulder and heard him grunt, trying to shift his hips.

"Nami, we have all the time… in the world… for this…" he struggled to say between breaths.

She released her legs around him and did the unexpected. She started removing her shorts. She wanted to feel more of him rubbing against herself. Sanji was a little stunned seeing how ambitious was becoming. He was mesmerized. She gave a look of lust urging him to help her remove her shorts.

He kissed along her belly button and down to her pelvic bone as his hands slid her shorts to the floor.

"Nami, if we don't stop-"

"Shhh." she said, placing a finger on his lips and pulling his face back into another deep kiss.

He nestled himself between her legs and pressed against her sensitive spot again. She was thrilled at the feeling she was missing in that short amount of time. It brought back memories of that night. It felt so surreal, so hot, so pleasurable. She began to rock her hips against him. She felt like a cat in heat. It felt too good rubbing against him. She placed her right palm on the counter and her left onto his shoulder for balance as she continued to rub into him.

"Nami…" he groaned desperately.

He placed his hands on her hips and started to rub himself into her. She felt so warm and wet against his manhood. He cold feel the heat and dampness increasing and he couldn't help it anymore. He increased his pace and so did she. She started arching her back trying to prevent moans escaping her throat as best as she could.

"Sa-Sa-an-ji."

She felt incredibly hot and wet against his erection. His mind thought of what she possibly felt without the fabric separating what made them man and woman. He leaned in began to circle his tongue around her neck while sucking her skin. He never stopped grinding against her and neither did she. She was loving every second and his kisses felt too good against her. She slightly dug her nails into his shoulder with her left hand as the pace increased again. Her hand was getting slippery from the sweat they were building, but ultimately, she was trying to hold back the intense feeling that was about to wash over her.

"A-ah," she gasped sharply. She knew what was coming.

"Na-mi.." he grunted. He had reached his limit too.

They rocked their hips even faster when a voice came from behind them. Stopping them before their release.

"Oi, don't be doing stuff in the kitchen!" Zoro said as he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.

Nami shrieked and covered her breasts. She was so embarrassed. Caught in the act by Zoro! Her face was so red and she felt like passing out. Here she was, almost completely naked, with Sanji, frozen in place from dry humping. Sanji leaned in and embraced her trying to cover her as much as he could.

"Oh my." said another, elegant, yet not surprised voice.

Robin stood in the living room right in open view of the kitchen as she placed her bag onto the couch.

"I'm sorry we interrupted something." she giggled with a sly smile.

**To be continued**

* * *

**Author's message:**

**Hey guys, I hope you guys liked this latest chapter. I'm having a lot of fun torturing them. **

**Will they ever be able to finish the deed? Stay in tuned with further chapters! XD**


	13. Getting to know you

"I don't want you to do _stuff_ in this kitchen. Do you understand? Your bedroom is one thing, where we eat is another." Zoro was calm but you could see he was slightly disturbed.

Sanji was about to open a large bag of arguments when Nami clutched her legs tighter around him. She was so embarrassed and if Sanji moved, she felt like she could die of embarrassment. Having Nami cling to him was a bad thing. They were interrupted before either of them could have their release and he was really stiff. Feeling her press on him made things worse and he wanted to take her right there and then - but Zoro was in the way. Sanji could only grumble under his breath as Zoro said it again.

"I don't care if you do the nasty, just not where people eat."

Sanji's back was still faced to Zoro as he was covering Nami. He couldn't just stand there and say nothing. It was in his nature to argue with Zoro.

"Oi, Marimo, since when are you the boss of this house? If I'm not mistaken this place belongs to Nami and Robin. It should be Robin lecturing us not you."

"People eat here! I eat here! I don't want to drop a piece of meat on what I think is tartar sauce!"

"Well, only you'd be stupid enough to think it's tartar sauce." Sanji smirked.

Nami had to stifle her giggle. She was still embarrassed, but hearing that made her want to laugh out loud.

"You want to start something again curly brow? I still owe you for that comment you made on Monday!"

"Zoro, calm down, we've done it lots of times in the kitchen." Robin mused.

"That's different! That was the floor and this is the counter! Food goes on the counter!"

"Marimo, there's a thing called disinfecting solution. You should know since you battle against them every single day."

Sanji smirked again. He was able to add to his insult from Monday.

"Oi! If Nami wasn't clinging onto you I'd beat you up right here and now!"

"Enough!" shouted Nami. She peaked her head from the side of Sanji and continued. "Robin please drag Zoro into your room and do whatever it is you guys do in there. I'll clean the counter, I promise so please…" She pleaded. She was desperate to have them leave.

"Sure, he owes me anyways. Right Zoro?" Robin said, as she grabbed Zoro's arm pressing her breasts against him.

"Huh?" Zoro was lost already. It was surprising to Nami that Zoro could get captivated by Robin's breasts so fast.

With that, Nami and Sanji were left alone in the kitchen again. Sanji kissed her cheek and moved from the counter to pull up his jeans. He was still stiff and needed to take care of it soon. Nami hopped off of the counter and pulled her shorts back on while grabbing for the disinfecting wipes.

She looked at Sanji who as still shirtless, bending down to pick up his shirt when she said, "Leave it off."

"What?"

"I like what I see." she smiled. Her eyes grew hungry looking at him.

"Then you leave it off too."

"Huh?"

"I like what I see." he said with a playful smile.

Nami looked down and shrieked, realizing she was still topless. She covered her breasts with her left arm as she threw the tube of disinfecting wipes at Sanji with her right. He caught it with ease and began wiping down the counter - three times - to ensure it was clean. He turned around to hand the tube back and noticed she was missing.

"Nami?" he called.

"I'm in my room!" she hollered back.

He left the tube on the counter and ventured towards her room placing a light knock before entering. She gave him her acknowledgement and saw her getting ready to walk into her shower. He stared in awe as he witnessed her almost naked body. She was covered with a soft, yellow towel that was a bit too short and showed off the bottoms of her butt cheeks.

He felt his member twitch against his jeans and came up from behind her. He lightly sucked against the nape of her neck and she giggled. The air that escaped his nose tickled against her and he wrapped two loving arms around her waist.

"Nami, I'm still _frustrated_. Can I join you?"

"I'm not in the mood anymore. Its weird. We were caught by Zoro and Robin…"

"Nami, do you know how much it hurts right now?"

"There's a bathroom down the hall." she chided.

Sanji let go of her and slumped as he walked out and into the other bathroom. This morning had his mind gong crazy. He locked the door behind him, closed the toilet seat, dropped his pants, and sat there. He opened the pocket of his boxers that hid his hard member and sighed. It was pointing straight into the heavens. This morning really did a number on him. Jerking off didn't feel right in Nami and Robin's apartment but this was a dire situation.

Still fantasizing about his sexy moment with Nami, he grabbed on and rubbed his hard member frantically. To his surprise, three sessions weren't enough. He looked down to see his little friend still pointing up with all its strength. He was in shock. He normally went limp after one session yet there it was, standing tall and strong. He dove in for another round and still found himself with a dubious expression. _'Why aren't you going down?' _he thought. This was impossible.

After another two sessions he found himself spent and a little dizzy from the high he got from six sessions. If Nami had that much of an affect on him he wondered what it would be like if they went _all the way_. He felt his member twitch as it started to slowly grow stiff again. Sanji watched in horror. He couldn't last another round. How many more times was it going to take before he lost all of his fluids? To his relief, it slumped back down after almost reaching a full standing point. He sighed and thanked god that he didn't need another round. Six rounds with Nami would have been amazing but by himself seemed pathetic and hurt his soul.

He cleaned up and headed out of the door to find Nami drying her hair as she exited her room. Had he really been in there long? He did have good stamina so it made sense that his sessions took longer.

He looked at her again. She was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a green and white baseball tee that held her curves nicely. She met his gaze and motioned to the living room.

She sat down on the couch, pulling her knees to her chest as Sanji sat next to her. He gave her a soft smile and kissed her cheek.

"Nami, I'm thinking about heading to the corner store. Do you want anything?"

"No, but why are you going there? Need more cigarettes?"

"I'm a little, _dehydrated._" he said, hoping she'd catch his drift.

"O-oh! Um, there's a sports drink in the bottom tray of the fridge if you want. You know, it'll help replenish your electrolytes and your um… protein."

"Thank you." he said with an appreciative smile.

He made his way into the kitchen and pulled out the bottle she mentioned and called out to her.

"Do you want something to drink while I'm here?"

"Can you get me some water? I feel a little hot." she called back while flipping through the channels on the TV.

'_You have no idea what hot is…'_ he mentally laughed.

He placed his drink onto the table and turned to grab for a bottle of water from the fridge. The moment he turned back around his face paled. Zoro was drinking his drink.

"Ahh! That was good. I was so spent but I feel great now!"

"OI! YOU BASTARD THAT WAS MY DRINK!" Sanji shouted.

Nami whirled around peering into the kitchen to see Zoro and Sanji in a stare off.

"I didn't see your name on it. Besides I needed it more than you. You guys didn't even do anything."

For the first time ever, Sanji didn't argue back. He was too spent and Zoro was right. _They_ didn't do anything, but _he_ did.

"Nami I'm going to the corner store." he muttered

"What? You're not even going to argue back?" Zoro was perplexed.

"Can it you piece of shit. I've used up six rounds too many and you drank what should have been my vitality."

Sanji dragged himself out of the kitchen when Nami stopped him. She was holding what looked like a blue towel at first. He looked at it and back to her. He had no clue what she was implying as she was pushing it to him.

"What's this?"

"You're shirt."

Sanji looked down to see his shirtless upper half and sighed. He was so spent he forgot he was shirtless. He tugged his shirt back on and gave Nami a light kiss and a soft smile.

"I'll be back."

* * *

Nami sat on the couch staring at the moving screen before her. She could hear the muffled sounds of something that sounded like a musical but couldn't bring herself to listen. She was in too much of a daze, remembering what her morning was like. She was already missing his touch, his kiss, his body, everything. She felt wonderful under his kisses and his touch, but she felt embarrassed. She was caught by Zoro.

She brought her legs up and leaned her chin against her knees. Things were happening too fast but she couldn't help but want them to move faster. She thought about what Sanji was struggling to say this morning. _'Nami, we have all the time… in the world… for this…'_

He was right. They shouldn't have been rushing, but there was too much excitement and lust. She wouldn't mind doing everything with Sanji. Two years was long enough without him and she almost lost him over a spur of the moment, Friday night. From a logical standpoint, its been two months being reunited as friends. That obviously wasn't enough to time to pick everything back up from where their friendship was left in high school, and it surely wasn't enough time to get to know one another through dating. If they had gone all the way this morning what would have happened? Would it strengthen things? Would it damper them? But Nami couldn't help but want and need him.

Then something crossed her mind. She never confessed her feelings to him. She only yelled at him. He understood where her yelling came from. He knew she loved him but he never heard her say it because he didn't need to. What about the mood? The timing? If she suddenly said it out of the blue it would be weird, wouldn't it? Sanji got his feelings across at a good moment. The timing was perfect and the situation was a little, loud, but it was good timing. Did she even have the courage to say out loud what he already knew? She's also never engaged the kisses. It's always Sanji who started things.

Her attention had been put to a hold when she noticed a familiar smell. She turned her head to the living room entrance but saw no one and her head dropped. Was she smelling things? Did she really miss the fresh, light mint scent of Sanji? She turned her attention back to the screen and stared at the moving pictures again. This time, she listened a bit and recognized it was Moulin Rouge. _'I thought I heard a musical…'_ she mused.

Just then, she noticed a warm arm to her left had been placed around her shoulders and jumped. Sanji had been sitting there and said nothing. She scooted away from him slightly, panting a little.

"Sanji! You scared the shit out of me!"

"But I told you I was here. It looked like you were too in deep with the show. What is it? Moulin Rouge? I didn't know you liked it." he said with a smile.

She nodded and criss-crossed her legs while planting the palms of her hands onto the couch. Truth be told, she had watched it so many times she knew every line.

They sat there, watching, only this time she became engrossed into the movie. Sanji glanced her way a few times and found it adorable that she would silently word each line like it were a prayer. He could see her hand sitting on the couch and he wanted to hold it. No particular reason behind it - he just did.

He scooted his fingers against hers but didn't grab on. He wanted to see what she would do. She glanced down a bit but continued to watch the movie which disappointed him a little. He was hoping for her to initiate something.

Moulin Rouge wasn't his favorite movie but he knew quite a few lines and three songs. He glanced at the TV again to see Satine and Christian on top of the Elephant as they were about to start the next song. _'So the movie hasn't gone that far yet.'_

Sanji smiled inwardly and looked at Nami. He timed the next line perfectly as he recited it to her.

"Love is a many, splendid thing - love, lifts us up where we belong - all you need is love." he stated. And there it was. Her attention shot to him in surprise.

"What?" he said.

Sanji met her gaze smiled. He wasn't going to sing for her but instead he mouthed the words of the song, just like she had for most of the movie.

"All you need is love" he mouthed.

She looked at him like he was crazy and giggled.

"All you need is love." he mouth again.

She finally caught on and decided to match him in this little game he was playing.

"Or she'll end up on the street." she mouthed back.

'_This is so corny, but its cute.'_ she thought.

When the beat started to pick up he held onto her hand and moved in closer still mouthing the parts Christian sang.

"I was made for loving you baby, and you were made for loving me-"

Nami released her hand from his and rubbed his chin slightly while mouthing, "The only way of loving me baby is to pay a lovely fee."

She stood up from the couch and he held onto her hand again.

"Just one night, just one night-"

She gave a sly smile and mouthed, "There's no way, cause you can't pay-"

He stood up, very close to her face, "In the name of love. One night in the name of love-"

Nami was having a little bit of fun with this. She leaned in closer, almost about to kiss him as she mouthed, "you crazy fool, I won't give in to you."

It was corny, it was lame, but it was fun. He somehow got her to sit back down as it was her turn again.

"You think thank that people would've had enough, of silly love songs…" she was feeling mesmerized.

Sanji never distanced himself from her face. It added an affect to their predicament.

"I look around me and I see, it isn't so, oh no."

"Some people wanna fill the world, with silly love songs…" she mouthed, as she rested her forehead against his and hovered over his lips.

Sanji grabbed for the remote very slyly without changing their distance and turned off the TV while quoting, instead of singing.

"Well, what's wrong with that? I'd like to know." he chuckled softly and gave her a light kiss.

Here it was. Things like this were the trigger that set her into a wanting and needing frenzy. She was always so stubborn against his antics of romance and corny lines but she really loved them. She had to say something before she was swept away like she was this morning.

"You know there things I'd like to know Sanij…" she said as she pulled her face away to look at him.

"Sure, what do you want to know?"

"Everything. Sanji, I don't know you. I mean, I know you but every time I'm around you I always forget to ask or if I'm able to ask, things happen that causes us to change the subject before you can answer."

"Then tell me Nami, what do you want to know."

His voice as smooth and silky with a husky undertone. Nami gulped back the urge to plant her face into his.

"You tell me what you can and then I'll ask questions. You know, just anything that comes to your mind about yourself. You know almost practically everything about me except for things I haven't told you."

"And what haven't you told me?"

"That is what I'm talking about. Just a simple question like that can change the entire conversation. We're talking about you right now. I think I'm losing my skills. So, tell me about yourself."

"My name is Sanji. I'm 177cm tall or should I say 5'9"? My favorite colors are blue and black but recently I've been taking a liking to yellow. My favorite food is spicy seafood pasta and anything that goes with black tea. I love cooking. I'm a heavy smoker but I've been thinking about quitting lately. My majors are Business and Culinary. I start the university's soccer team in Spring. Uh, I'm not that interesting now that I say it out loud."

"Ok then I'll ask you questions."

"Oh, before I forget, there's one more thing I can say about myself. I love a wonderful woman named Nami. And I'd like to give her a kiss right now if she'll let me."

Nami blushed. Sanji was so damn straightforward but loved it. She thought this was the perfect moment to engage the kiss herself. She was about to kiss him when he leaned into her first and stole her chance. It was light and sweet, and left her wanting more but she decided she could try again later.

"Ok back to business. Monday was the first time I heard about where you worked. So you're a chef at All Blue? Isn't that your dad's place?"

Sanji shifted a little in his seat slightly. He couldn't tell Nami he actually ran the place now. His father, Zeff, wanted to open another restaurant and no one else was up to taking over. Sanji never showed any interest in owning the place because he wanted to run his own restaurant. He did work there growing up and learned everything he knew about food there but he wasn't keen on the idea of owning it. But, business was clearly going to fall under if someone didn't take the position. On his eighteenth birthday, a week before Zeff was going to finalize everything with the insurance company and bank, Sanji approached Zeff and told him flat out, "I'm only doing this because I don't want it to go under without you. But I'm not taking full ownership either. It'll be find with the banks and insurance company if I'm a co-owner right? We could right it off that I'm your 'heir' but you know I'd hate to inherit this shitty place from you."

Thinking back, he remembered the old geezer laughing heartily and agreeing.

Sanji looked at Nami, still waiting for his answer. The fact that he was a chef there wasn't a lie. Apart from being co-owner he was always in the kitchen with everyone else. Part of him wanted to tell her and another part didn't. What would she do if she he told her he had half ownership?

"Yea it's that shitty geezer's place. I'm just there cause I need the job."

This wasn't a lie either. He did need the job and it was a good one too.

Nami gave him a thoughtful expression and smiled. "But its good for you. You love to cook and I'm sure that you express your hard work, love, and creativity there. I've tasted the food you prepare. Heck, most of the time I'm scared to touch it because they're too good looking to eat, and the flavor is always amazing so I don't want to touch it because I know I'll finish it. I'm pretty envious you get to work with what you love."

She leaned her left cheek onto the couch, still looking at him.

He really did love her. He knew he would have to tell her about his co-ownership but he could wait on that for now.

Nami couldn't get enough of looking at him. His sweet smile said lots to things to her, as did his body, and his hands… _'Hands… wait, why am I thinking of his hands?'_ she thought. Then it hit her. She knew she was forgetting something.

"SANJI! YOU ASS! You haven't paid me at all! You owe me-" she started counting her unpaid sessions, "350 Beli! Pay up! My half of the rent is due today!"

That's right. Even through their dates and her sick days she still tutored him. But he forgot to pay her.

She stared at him with a red, pouting face with her hand out, expecting payment right there and then. He chuckled a bit, grabbed her hand, his wallet, and made a dash for the door.

"Wh-Where are we going?"

"The ATM." he said nonchalantly.

"Fine, but taking me with you will cost you some interest." she said with a sly smile.

Stopping in front of the door he pulled her into a deep, passionate kiss. This caught her off guard but she liked it. When he pulled away from her he gave her his sexiest smile and spoke in a low, lustful voice, "How's that, for interest?"

**To Be Continued...**


	14. Tuesday with Nami pt1

**First, I only said 2 year time skip appearances. I didn't say age. XP**

**Second: hope you enjoy this chapter XD  
**

* * *

July 2, 2012, seven thirty a.m. Monday morning.

Nami groaned as she rolled out of bed. She wasn't looking forward to her first class.

"Tests should be counted as criminal acts." she mumbled.

With a slap of her hand against her alarm clock she nuzzled back into bed but heard some disturbing noises. Across the hall, the muffled moans and grunts weren't as muffled as her friends had thought. Nami pulled a pillow over her head and grumbled.

"Who does those things in the mornings? Oh wait…" Thoughts of her Saturday morning "adventure" flashed through her head and she sighed. Obviously she did those things in the morning too.

She sluggishly headed towards the living room and turned on the TV. If she wasn't awake five seconds ago, she was now.

"Good morning everyone! It's seven thirty-two and we've got a lot in store for today's broadcast!" greeted a perky blond woman.

"CRAP!" Nami shouted as she ran to her room.

She threw on her black shorts, a pink tank top, and a white hoodie and gathered all her things into her bag. She quickly pulled her hair into a cute, messy bun and applied very light makeup just to keep her looking fresh. She was thankful she showered the night before or things would have been worse this morning.

She glanced at her clock and growled. It read seven thirty-seven now. She pulled her bag and shoes on and shouted into the hallway as she made her way to the door.

"ROBIN! ITS SEVEN THIRTY SEVEN!"

She heard shuffling and stumbling around coming from her room and called to her, "Sorry but I'm leaving first! I'll see you both at lunch!"

Nami grabbed her keys and ran. It was a fifteen minute walk to school but if she ran she'd be able to get there in time to review quickly.

She had been making good time but her pace began to slow. She saw a tuft of familiar blond hair ride by on a motorcycle but it was going the opposite direction. Was Sanji going to pick her up at home? Wait, Sanji had a motorcycle? She cursed under her breath for not asking more about him. She left her imagination at that, after freaking over the time on her watch and ran like her life depended on it.

Upon entering her class, the mood was hushed and gloomy as people shuffled through their notes and flashcards. She looked to the back noticing Luffy, frantically writing answers on his hands, feet, and just about anywhere he'd be able to get away with cheating. Usopp had dark black circles under his eyes and flipped through his notes with tears of fear falling. Then her gaze turned to Sanji. He was quietly sitting in his seat gazing at a flashcard with something written on the back. His brows furrowed for a moment and then he looked to the ceiling. He gave it a few more seconds before his face lit up and nodded to himself. He turned the card over and continued to nod and smile.

'_He really does take school seriously now.'_ she thought. She had to smile at that thought.

She made her way to her seat being as quiet as possible but failed to notice her untied shoe lace. With a loud 'thump' she fell face first and caught everyone's attention. _'Why me?'  
_

__No one said anything but kept a keen eye on Nami. She normally didn't give a damn about what others thought about her but seeing Sanji turn his attention to her made her feel embarrassed.

He shifted in his seat, debating on what to do. He wanted to help her but he knew she'd lecture him about it later. He knew she didn't like looking defenseless in front of people. Just before he could push those thoughts away and help her, she thought of the perfect way of saving herself. She stood up, dusted her pants and shouted the most difficult fact she knew would be a trick question on the test. She heard everyone shuffling their papers again - writing down that last piece of information she had just provided.

'_Safe.' _she grinned.

She slid into her seat pulling out her notes when Sanji whispered close to her.

"Nice save."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I was so in thought about the test that I tripped."

"If that's true then you might want to hide your shoe lace." he said, as he pointed downwards.

She pulled out her book and notes for a final, five minute, run down of facts and trivia. She felt herself feeling a little nervous and began to tap her pencil at the tip of her desk as she glanced through. Tests weren't difficult to her in the least, but she felt as if the world had been conspiring against her this morning.

Five minutes had passed by too fast for Nami. She found herself scrounging around for any last piece of info she could get until she heard a woman clearing her throat, waiting for Nami to notice.

Nami turned her gaze to the woman who pushed test papers onto her desk and urged her to pass it down. As she passed the tests towards Sanji's way he spoke under his breath, "Are you free tomorrow?"

What was he asking that for? Couldn't he wait until after the test? Sanji noticed the questions filling her face and whispered again, "Wait for me in the hall when you're done."

She nodded lightly and began filling out her test. The first part had been true or false, the second were labeling and fill in the blanks, the third part consisted of essays, and lastly there were the multiple choice questions. She was happy that she wasn't finding anything difficult. She did find herself writing more than she should have for the essay portion of the test but she thanked the gods that at least something was going smoothly for her. She had about fifteen questions left when she took a glance at Sanji. He looked as if he were in deep thought staring at the ceiling when Nami noticed everything he had was turned over.

'_What do you mean, "wait for me? You're done already…'_

She turned back to her test and filled out the last part with ease and began collecting her things. Sanji shifted in his seat and followed the same suit. As they made their way to the front, their professor didn't bother to look at them as he was engrossed in a cross word puzzle and simply waved them off.

As soon as the door closed behind Sanji, Nami gave him a playful slap on his arm.

"What did you mean by "wait for me"? You were already done."

"A man never lets makes a woman wait."

Sanji bent down to her shoe as they spoke. He knew she was going to forget about her shoe if he didn't tie it.

"But why did you tell me to wait for you if you weren't planning on making me wait?" she asked.

"I don't know." he shrugged. "I thought it was something romantic to say. Like a boy with an unrequited love, pleading to the girl he loved to wait for him."

"Sanji, that's lame. Even for you." she giggled.

Sanji stood up as she began to walk forward and tugged on her arm gently. She stopped to turn her attention to him and ask what was wrong when he blurted out a very simple suggestion.

"Let's hold hands."

Nami blinked in confusion for a second and giggled.

"Sanji, how old are you?"

"Nineteen…why?"

"If you're nineteen years old then grab my hand. You're a man. Take the lead. We're together now aren't we? You have no problem inducing kisses, but you have to suggest something as simple as hand holding?"

"Well lets be honest here. We've never really held hands at all. Saturday we were playing around with the movie so the times our hands touched didn't really count. Wouldn't today make it our first official _outing_ as a couple? I'd like to be able to hold your hand in public and have people know we're an item."

Nami thought about it for a moment and sighed.

"Sometimes you can be such a kid, you know that?" she said with a smile and extended her hand towards him - moving her feet slowly.

He didn't take her hand at first but followed her slow pace. He wanted to see how long she was going to keep waving her hand searching for his. He could see the look of irritation and held in a chuckle. She was so cute when she was irritated.

"You know it takes two to tango Sanji!" she blurted out, irritated. Just as she was pulling her hand back to her side, Sanji quickly grabbed a hold and laced his fingers with hers.

She was irritated and had a slight blush from feeling stupid - waving her hand backwards for his. He smiled at her ever so eagerly which only irritated her more. He did it on purpose and she knew it.

And there they were, walking hand in hand, down the hall. It had a natural yet foreign feel to it. It was definitely considered a new experience. It's not like she had any relationship skills in her back pockets. Back in high school, she read about relationships a lot during her lunch or break time at work. She saw and observed couples who entered her part time jobs. She heard gossip from other women in cafes and shops. Now that she thought about it, she never bothered to ask Robin about relationship advice. Nami was practically swimming in black waters. Rather than searching for a clear spot to swim, she went with the flow, letting the waves carry her.

"So are you free tomorrow?" Sanji began, with a smile as he took lead of their destination

"What?"

"You know tomorrow, Tuesday, July third? Are you free?"

"I have classes tomorrow but we're not doing much. I just have math homework to turn in and I don't have to show up to my sociology class since its an extra credit movie."

"Ok then its settled. You'll kip your classes tomorrow with me." he said with a grin.

"Wait what? What about my math work?"

"Give it to _Law_" Sanji grumbled as he said the other man's name. He still didn't like the idea of him hanging around but he hated to admit that Law was growing on him. He still didn't know Law wasn't into women, but that wasn't his business and Nami had no right saying anything.

"Why what's so important that I have to ditch school?"

Sanji looked a little stunned for a second. Did she really not know what tomorrow was? What it signified?

She still had no clue what was going on and was wondering what was happening tomorrow. Holiday? No. Some sort of concert? Sanji wasn't into concerts. Nami was baffled. She knew it wasn't a birthday since the closest one was for Law in October. She gave Sanji a puzzled look who only looked away. She really didn't know what was going on tomorrow.

She was about to speak up once more when her stomach grumbled. They both looked at each other but she was the first to look away.

'_That's right… I left without food and even ran here…'_

Sanji didn't say anything but changed their course of direction. He was still stunned she didn't know what tomorrow was. He thought about telling her but maybe he should have just left it as a surprise.

Her stomach grumbled again, only louder which caused Sanji to chuckle softly.

"It's not funny. I was almost late and ran here."

"I'm not laughing. I'm amused."

"Well you look smug." she spat.

GGRRRUUUUMMMMBBBBLLLLEE! Nami's face was crimson. How could her stomach grumble _that_ loud? Only Luffy's stomach did that.

"Sanji…" she said, looking at anything but him.

"I say, tis a lovely morning to eat something isn't it? Oh my, look over yonder! A fine food establishment! Come! Let us make haste!"

Nami looked at the cafeteria that was not too far away and laughed, earning Sanji another playful slap again.

"You're such a dork." she giggled

* * *

Halfway through her meal sat a shocked Sanji. Where did she put all of that food? She was always full after a _much_ smaller portion of food but this was impossible. She seemed to have had a bottomless pit this morning. If Luffy were next to her, who would win in an eating contest? Would she even let him eat his share of contest food? There was a major difference in how she ate compared to Luffy though. She was much more refined, quick, and used manners; while Luffy sucked it all into is vacuum mouth. Sanji's thoughts were interrupted when he noticed how neatly Nami stacked her plates and dabbed at her soft pink lips.

They sat in the back corner which held booths for students who wanted to eat and do work at the same time. The tables and furniture were dark brown with red upholstery seats which definitely clashed against the main cafeteria. There were countless tables in the cafeteria with comfortable seats everywhere but the main color scheme was white with cream colored accents. A definite clash. It was as if the cafeteria had a 'light' and 'dark' side to it. There were a few tables with chairs around the 'dark side' which were divided by simple screens from other tables to insure privacy and comfortable studying while eating.

"So Sanji, I still have tons of questions for you. We've still got fifteen minutes to kill before we should head out."

"Ok, shoot."

"How do you get to school? I thought I saw you on a motorcycle this morning but when I saw you in class, obviously that solved the mystery. Besides, you're always there earlier than I am."

"Sorry to disappoint you but I don't ride motorcycles. I drive most of the time."

"This is news to me. How have you been hiding it from me for two whole months?"

"It's supposed to be a secret in the first place. If Luffy and those idiots knew I'd be wasting gas every day picking up their shitty asses. I even know for a fact they won't pay for gas. Only Robin and Marimo know because there was an incident and they needed someone to get them."

"Huh… Ok, then where do you live? Are you living alone?"

This was one question Sanji didn't want to answer. He still hadn't told Nami about his co-ownership with Zeff. He wasn't ready to tell her he was financially secure with a overly decent place. He loved her but he didn't want her to stick with him because of his money. He wanted to make sure they were in it for the long run.

"Um, yea, I live alone. It's about thirty minutes away by car up north. It's a decent apartment, nothing special. Your place is a hundred times better. My place really doesn't feel or look like a home."

The way it came out of his mouth made it seem like he hated his place. This wasn't a lie. In his opinion, Nami's shared apartment was considered a home. Warm, cozy atmosphere, spacious but filled with love and care, and it was a place she or anyone could return to knowing someone was or would be home.

Nami nodded her head and could tell by the sound of his voice that he didn't like his apartment. Was it really that bad of an apartment? He only gave her a travel estimate and direction. She wanted to press on further but decided against it. She wanted to respect his privacy. She knew that if he wanted to talk to her about it he would, so she left it at that.

She looked at him again, this time with a serious expression and looked down at her hands. This was going to be a tough topic to bring up.

"Sanji…"

"Hmm?"

"Are you…?"

"Hmmm?"

"You know…?"

"What's up?"

"Uh, are you a _man_?" her cheeks flushed a deep, crimson color.

Sanji laughed.

"Um, Nami, forgive me for being crude but there is a genetic anomaly between my legs that indicates that I am a man." he said as he continued laughing.

"That's not what I mean. Have you…_done the deed_?" She never met his gaze and held a troubled expression.

It took Sanji a moment to register her words until his face paled. He never anticipated her to ask him this question so soon into the relationship. He knew she'd ask about it but not this soon. He started to blame himself immediately. Twice they had some 'overly friendly' moments and if he had more self control, she wouldn't have been thinking or asking so soon.

Her eyes finally met his and blurted out, "Sorry."

She stood up to gather her plates when Sanji grabbed her hand. He motioned for her to bring her chair closer to him so they could talk about it. He laced his fingers through hers and exhaled, "Yes."

"I see. Well, you are nineteen after all. " she said nonchalantly, but her eyes said something different.

Sanji knew that look in her eyes. It killed him. He knew she felt disappointed that she wasn't his first. His expression softened but he couldn't sugar coat this at all.

"Nami, an itch needed to be scratched and I was drunk. Zoro and I went out for his eighteenth and partied in the red light district. It wasn't my proudest moment. I think I should say I'm a hypocrite. I call myself a gentleman but I had a string of one night stands with women."

Nami kept her same expression as she listened, and soon her whole body grew calm the more he spoke. She wasn't too surprised. She figured something like this would have been the case, but she felt just a little disappointed. To un-sour the mood she was creating, she asked something that caught Sanji off guard.

"Are you clean?"

"What?"

"Are you clean? I don't want to catch anything from you that those women had." she said with a playful smile, trying to make her words sound scorning.

Sanji felt himself relax. Nami really had a way with trying her best to turn things around.

"Nami if I weren't clean I would have told you not to waste your time on me."

"Ok. No baby mama drama?"

Sanji chuckled softly and kissed her ear whispering, "No baby mama drama."

"Good. So that means you've got experience up your sleeve. Don't disappoint me." her smile said a lot of things which only made Sanji want her more.

"Nami, we can take things like this slowly. Don't push yourself in going all the way with me. I may have had one night stands but this, us, is different. We're together, and I love you a lot. Those women and I had mutual agreements. The last thing I want is to move things too fast for us."

She gave him a thoughtful nod and Sanji kissed her cheek this time.

"Age range?"

"What?"

"How old were they?"

"Nami, I'm a little-"

"Answer me honestly. I won't hold it against you. It's in the past right? It's not like your still scratching your _itches_ with them now."

"It's in the past and the exact reason why I don't want to talk about it."

"Answer me or I'll find out in a way that won't be nice."

"They were mostly older women."

"Older? Eww like sixty? Sanji that's-" she said jokingly but he cut her off feeling embarrassed she'd make a joke like that.

"Nami that's too far of a stretch for me! I'm a young man, who they considered handsome. We had the same itch and it just so happened I had the _stamina_ they needed. They were in their late twenties to mid thirties. It was only sexual. Older women have you know, seen and done more things so...let's just say they it was a learning experience and end it at that ok? I feel so weird telling you about it."

Nami giggled hearing him become nervous as he spoke. Sanji never really did lose his cool or calm so it was nice seeing this for a change; even if he didn't like it.

Since they were on the topic of sex he thought now would be a good chance to ask her about her situation.

"Nami, is it ok if I ask about your...um..._situation_? It's been on my mind for a while. Honestly, the way you grind your hips to me says one thing, but your innocence says another."

"I've yet to…_you know_…"

"And that's fine. I respect that. It was the way you grind your hips that gave me the impression you've tried it."

Nami's face heated. She couldn't tell Sanji she accidentally learned about it from a job. She had worked part time at a video rental shop and had a few late shifts. She was required to watch some movies to help provide reviews to customers and one night shift she came across a DVD with a title that said 'Top Gun'. She heard it was a good movie from 1986 involving the best flight students competing for the top position while one of them romances their female teacher. She had quite a few customers who came in to watch old or vintage movies so she thought she'd give it a watch in the back room. To her surprise, when she pressed play, the first scene she saw was a man in a flight uniform plowing a woman who seemed a little too into the scene. Her thoughts were interrupted when he continued to speak.

"Nami, did you watch something with _hints_ in them?" he joked, nudging her arm.

Nami froze in place and stared at him as if she were a deer staring into the headlights of an oncoming car. He hit the nail on the head. Sanji saw the look on her face and something clicked in his head.

"Nami, did I guess that correct?" he said with a smile and puzzled demeanor.

She didn't say anything to him. Her face only grew even more red. How much more red could her face get before she passed out?

"EEEEHHHH! You're not joking?" Sanji shouted in surprise. Her face said everything to him.

Sanji started laughing but tried so hard not to. He didn't want to make her any more uncomfortable than she already was but he couldn't help it. He could imagine every possible scenario of her watching something like porn which was hilarious to him. He could see a completely embarrassed Nami watching explicit scenes, covering her face and peeking through the slits of her fingers as if it were a horror film. Nami was sexy as hell and showed off her body with confidence and sexual jokes didn't bother her in the least but when they were alone she was like a completely different person. Her innocence was too much. So of course he laughed at the thoughts he made of her.

She tried to escape the embarrassment but he held onto her and hid his face in her shoulder as he tried to stifle his laughs.

"It's not funny! It wasn't even on purpose! I accidentally came across it thinking it was a different movie!" she shouted back.

This caused Sanji to laugh even more. He didn't know about how she came across what it was that she watched but he thought it was seriously funny. He wasn't laughing at her, but rather with her. He's had a few misleading situations like that but this was her innocence that was put into the picture.

"P-P-Poor…Nami!" he struggled to say through his laughing.

After a good five minutes he finally calmed down. He kissed her forehead and gave her an earnest smile.

"Nami listen," he grabbed her hand and stroked it gently with his thumb. "we don't need to rush things. Just take things slow - go about it day by day. I won't do things you wouldn't want and when that time comes that we do take that step, I'd definitely want to make sure you were ready and that we had the necessary precautions too. Ok? Besides, what we've been doing up until now is fine. Enjoying each others company and companionship. If you have, well...questions, I'll try to answer them as best as I can. Though maybe it might be better to ask Robin since she's another woman, but I won't disregard your questions or curiosity. If you have _itches _that need _scratching_, um, well I don't mind helping you out since you're special to me…um…I suppose that's all I can say."

How could she have gotten so lucky? Sanji was very thoughtful, caring, patient, and just so damn handsome. She gave him the tightest hug she could give. Not a friendly hug or a romantic embrace. This was a hug that said showed her appreciation and love.

This was one of those moments, with perfect timing, she had been brooding about on Saturday and she was going to take it.

She looked at Sanji and searched his eyes. She wanted to memorize this moment. She place her left hand upon his cheek and smiled softly. It was smooth and softer than it looked for a masculine jaw line. He leaned his face into her hand and returned her gaze and smile. He took his left hand and gently moved a few strands of her hair and tucked it behind her ear. She bit her lower lip slightly and trailed her fingers from her right hand over his lips. Sanji only gazed at her, waiting to see what she was going to do. He knew a kiss was coming but waited patiently.

Nami placed her hands against his chest and leaned in, lightly kissing him on his lips. Her warm lips were soft against his and he responded by puckering his lips into hers just as gently as she did. This was quite different from how they normally engaged in a kiss. Most times it was playful or passionate, but this held every bit of shy aspect in it and deep feeling.

Sanji began to notice the difference if their kisses. Her kisses weren't heavy or passionate but they were simple and held a lot of feeling behind it. His held a lot of feeling too but hers just held more. It was as if she was pouring everything into those gentle kisses. Sanji wondered what it would be like if she tried kisses he normally started with her. If her simple, gentle kisses were this beautiful and fulfilling, he was definitely looking forward to the day she would initiate more deep or passionate kisses.

She separated herself from his lips and looked into his eyes again. She really did love this man. She smiled again and kissed his lips one last time before uttering out the words, "We're late for class you know."

'_What! No! You were supposed to say 'I love you'! You wimp!' _she yelled to herself.

Sanji glanced at his watch and back to her. "We're skipping today too."

* * *

The next morning Nami had awoken to the smell of bacon that filled the house and crept its way to her room. She looked towards her clock and her face paled. July third, nine o'clock am. She was about to go into a panic mode when she remembered she was skipping today. But who turned off her alarm? She couldn't recall turning it off this morning or last night.

She turned to her side curling up into her blanket. She had left her air conditioner on the night before and her blanket was her safe haven. Sleeping in. The last time she slept in she woke up to see a sexy Sanji at her door step which eventually led to a 'sexy morning'.

Her back had been facing the door when it opened slightly. The smell of bacon increased and completely filled her room. The only person she could think that was in the house was Sanji. She closed her eyes pretending to be asleep, hearing his footsteps come closer. Yup. It was Sanji. Nami could smell his distinctive cologne that always set her heart on fire.

The weight of the bed shifted slightly as he leaned over, gently placing a hand on her shoulder and giving a light nudge.

"Nami, it's morning. Time to get up." he said sweetly

Nami didn't budge but inhaled his scent deeply. She wanted to see how far she could play along with this.

Sanji leaned in further nudging her again but she still didn't stir. Instead she returned to him some light humming. Carefully, Sanji leaned over her and kissed her cheek trying to get her to wake up. Seeing as though she wasn't going to stir he got off the bed and walked around to the other side. Nami could feel his face hovering close by but turned around in the other direction. She was completely awake but wanted to see what Sanji would do as she silently giggled to herself.

Sanji moved back to where he was and crawled onto her bed again. He made a motion to nudge her shoulder and was going to kiss her again when she turned over one more.

'_I wonder how much longer I can keep this up.'_

And again, he did the same thing, as did she. She was having too much fun. It was too cute to her, seeing Sanji struggle to wake her and give her a morning kiss. But she was soon found out when Sanji tricked her. Instead of climbing onto her bed, he placed her heavy books gently on the bed to give her the impression he was there. When she turned back and let a mischievous smile play across her lips she was caught.

"Gotcha." Sanji said, with a hint of playfulness in his voice.

He leaned in giving her a kiss on the lips which got her to open her eyes.

"Oh no! I've been caught." she giggled.

"Come on, time to get up. I cooked a small variety of dishes because I wasn't sure on what you wanted to eat this morning." he said, pulling her to her feet.

"I don't want to." she playfully pouted.

"Well I want you to. So I win." he scooped her up into his arms and headed into the kitchen.

Nami was amazed at the amount of food that sat upon the table. Did Sanji cook everything that was in her refrigerator? Plates filled with French toast, different types of pancakes, different varieties of waffles, toast, bacon, sausage, eggs, overflowed the table. It was like a miniature restaurant.

"A small variety? Sanji, there's way too much food here for the both of us. Why did you make so much?"

"Because today is special and I didn't know what you wanted. Besides yesterday you ate around seven plates worth of food so I figured you had a secret appetite you weren't telling me about."

He guided her to the stool at the counter and poured her a glass of fresh orange juice. She was still stunned at the amount of food. Sanji really outdid himself.

"Think of it as a breakfast buffet. It would have been more romantic if it was in bed but I suppose I got a little carried away."

"Please tell me you're eating with me?"

"If you ask then I can't refuse now can I?"

Sanji and Nami tried to eat as much as they could but barely took out a fourth of what was there.

"You cooked too much." she deadpanned.

"Sorry," he said with a sheepish grin. "I got a little carried away since today's special."

"Sanji, what is today? You've been mentioning that today is special but for the life of me I have no clue what you mean."

Sanji had a stunned look on his face again but quickly changed it to a soft smile.

"Nami I still can't believe you don't know what today is."

"I won't know unless you tell me."

"If you don't remember what today is then you'll just find out later."

"But-"

"Go and change your clothes. I have an itinerary set for us today." he said eagerly

"Fine." she pouted.

She hopped off of her stool and trotted off to her room.


	15. Tuesday with Nami pt2

"Sanji! Give me a hint on where we're going!" Nami shouted from her room.

"Can't do that! It'll ruin the surprise!"

"Then how am I supposed to know what to wear?"

"Nami, you look beautiful in anything you wear so anything is fine!"

"Sanji you're not a girl! You don't understand the gravity of the situation! What if we go to a place that's too cold inside? I don't want to get cold!"

"Then bring a jacket or a sweater!"

"No! Because what if we go somewhere else that's hot? I don't want to sweat in it or carry it around!"

Sanji made his way into her room closing the door behind him. He didn't see Nami at first and spoke to show his presence.

"Nami, don't worry about it. Wear what you normally wear to school. See, look at what I'm wearing."

Nami peered out from her walk in closet and gave him a look over. He changed his clothes from when she first saw him this morning. He wore a thin, black long sleeve shirt with rolled up sleeves and a fitted white t-shirt over it - which showed off his upper body very nicely. He had dark blue jeans and chain hanging from the side of his pants as well as a black skater belt. This certainly was a new look. It made him look a bit daring and somewhat of a bad boy.

"When did you change?"

"Right after breakfast. Nami, we'll be late for the first place if we don't leave in ten minutes."

"It's not that easy. I want to compliment you. You keep talking about how special today is and I don't want to look overly dressed next to you or too under dressed. I don't want too look opposite either. You seem to be sporting a bad boy look today so-"

Sanji came up from behind her and examined what she had in her closet. She turned around and hugged him around his waist and looked up into his face. He seemed to have been thinking hard about her predicament. She noticed his hands reaching for a shirt but didn't turn around to look.

She kept staring at Sanji's thoughtful expression blurted out, "No not that! I don't like that."

He looked down at her and saw her mischievous smile.

"Nami, if you didn't like it, then it wouldn't be in here now would it? Besides you didn't even see what I picked out."

He glanced around her closet and saw shelves with neatly folded jeans and shorts, organized from lightest to darkest. She really did take pride in her clothes. He made grab for a pair of shorts and a black cardigan that cut off just at the bust line and walked out of the closet, with her still hanging on.

"Nami, wear these. I think you'll be satisfied with what I picked. Do you have any accessories?"

He didn't want to take forever in dressing her but he knew she would have went on about how she would need to wear an accessory to go with her outfit.

She let go of him and grabbed her signature golden bangle and pearl earrings. "Just these. I sold everything else before moving here."

"Those will definitely work. Hurry up and get changed."

He walked back into her closet to decide on her shoes when he saw the amount of dress belts she had. She really had a thing for fashion. He grabbed at a dark brown waist belt with a big buckle and her black converse and came out with a feeling of lust when he saw her.

She was in a light pink strapless bra with a matching string bikini styled panty. Sanji closed his eyes and thought of anything to keep him from pouncing on her like a hungry lion. _'Dead puppies. Dead puppies. Dead puppies. Damn! Nami who would be hurt and need comfort if she saw a dead puppy! Old wrinkly ladies! Saggy old wrinkly ladies! Fuck! Nami is some old wrinkly lady's granddaughter! …um… ummm… ZORO! Yes! Muahaha. Thank you Marimo. Who knew you were such a turn off?'_

When she finally had her clothes on he exhaled in relief. Today was definitely going to be a long day. He handed her the belt and shoes and her outfit was complete. She looked into the mirror and back at him.

"You need to pick my clothes out more often." she said in surprise

She admired what he had picked out in the mirror. A white, strapless lace top with a belt looped empire waist which she hooked her dark brown belt through. Her black cardigan that cut off at the bust and her black shorts. It was simple but it matched Sanji very well. She knew he had a great sense of fashion but not with women's clothing. It gave her a delicate appearance but also a fun and hard one. It was, the sweet yet fun girl next door look.

She grabbed her wallet, keys, mini makeup kit, and a few pins and hair ties and tossed them all into her white purse.

"Ok, I'm ready." she smiled.

"Good!" he said as he grabbed her hand and escorted her out of her apartment.

* * *

This was the first time she saw his car. It was a sleek, silver car with four doors. It wasn't flashy and it wasn't simple either. It looked efficient, and if it were a boy it would definitely be sexy. It suited him. How much did a car like this cost? Was it brand new? Was it old and he just kept a good upkeep on it? Nami had no knowledge of cars or brands but she could tell weird looking ones from nice looking ones. And this was definitely a nice looking one.

Sanji jogged down the steps and stood in plain sight of her. He then pulled out his keys and with a bow, unlocked the car with the press of a button, which made a 'bleep bleep' noise. He held her door open for her as she made her way to his car. She could immediately smell the inside from where she was standing. It was a raspberry scent with a hint of his minty cologne. Again, another fresh scent. She slid into her seat carefully, trying not to scratch the interior on her way in.

She took a look around the car nervously as she waited for him to enter. It was too clean. It looked absolutely brand new. She noticed where the air freshener in his car was and inhaled deeply. The smell inside was crisp and clean but she never would have guessed he would use raspberry. Most smokers used a heavy cherry smell. She inhaled deeply again and really started to suspect it was new. There were no traces of ash or that faint stained smell of cigarettes in the car. Her attention was broken when Sanji slid into the driver's seat and turned on the car. Various items in his car lit up with a deep, bright, electric blue color and a cool breeze began to fill the car.

Sanji shifted into gear and looked at Nami with a smile.

"What?"

He reached over and grabbed her seatbelt, buckling her in.

"Seatbelts."

"Oh…"

"You sound disappointed."

"I thought you were-"

She was stopped mid sentence with a kiss on her lips.

"Now you're not disappointed."

The car started moving and Nami held her breath slightly. She only learned yesterday he had car. The last time she rode in a car was the day she moved out. In high school she always walked to school and after she decided on home schooling she still walked everywhere. It was part of the reason she was fit.

"So…"

"Hmmm?"

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see when we get there."

"Come on." she moaned

"Relax and enjoy the ride." he chuckled. He pressed a button on the dashboard in the center of the car and some jazz filled softly filled the car. She had recognized the song and turned to Sanji.

"Frank Sonotra?"

"Yup."

"Tell me, is this your secret weapon to 'woo' women?"

"Nami I thought you've been wooed by me already?"

"Someone is full of themselves." she said with a mischievous smile.

"It looks like I have to work hard then." he return her smile.

She giggled a little and let herself drown in the music and the comfort of the ride. Looking out of the window she felt ignorant of the city. The farthest she traveled within the city was five blocks - north, south, east, west - from her apartment. She only really needed to know where her school was and basic places like the police station, the fire department, grocery stores, some cafes, and mom and pop shops. But they were way passed the five block limit she had put on her surroundings.

Every so often they would talk or he would point out certain places, but the drive was quiet, with the soft murmuring of jazz music. The silence wasn't awkward at all. In fact it was very comfortable, but Nami couldn't help but wonder how much longer they were going to be driving. She glanced at the clock on the dashboard that read ten thirty. Just as she was about to ask how much longer they were going to take she found the car coming to a stop in a parking lot packed with other cars. She glanced around looking for a sign, a billboard, anything to say where they were but only saw a massive building with a massive dome. _'Why is everything massive in this city?'_

"Sanji, where are we?"

"Still a secret."

He got out of the car and ran to her side escorting her out. As they were walking away he pressed the button on his keys which locked the car and proceeded to the front doors of the dome. The outside was huge and white with no sign at all. It definitely felt shady but Nami told herself to trust in Sanji.

As they entered the front doors Nami finally knew what this place was.

"An aquarium? You brought me to an aquarium?" she asked in a curious tone.

"Oh but Nami, its not just any aquarium. It's one of the largest aquariums in the world!" He said with a deep, announcer tone, spreading is arms as wide as he could."

"Each section holds navigational coordinates and maps of each region were every type of fish in here were found. And, there's a maze that you have to find your way around with the 'night sky'. It's a great way to test your navigational skills."

Nami was stunned. He picked a place that really interested her. She liked the idea of seeing maps and navigation records for each species but the last part really interested her. She wanted to test her navigational skills with the pseudo night sky. Astronomy is one of the oldest sciences around and was used in prehistoric times among humans and certain animals for navigation, so she was really excited.

She began to feel bad not knowing what today was. If Sanji took so much time an effort to take her to a place like this, then she really needed to remember what day today was.

Walking past people paying at an entrance booth, Nami's face paled as she saw the price list for people to enter. It was almost 50 Beli per adult to enter. Just _how_ amazing was this place?

Sanji laced his fingers with Nami's as they passed through turnstiles and handed their tickets to a female usher. She looked at Sanji and blushed as she handed back their ticket stubs, but gave Nami a scowling smile. Nami knew that look all too well. She knew it meant the girl thought she was better than her.

Nami did what any woman would do. Show off. She moved in closer to Sanji and kissed his lips smirking at the woman. The female usher turned away to greet other customers with a huff and Nami giggled.

They made their way into and arched opening, stopping before an escalator, and Sanji pulled her in for another kiss.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"I don't like her. She smiles for you but scowls for me. I had to show off."

Sanji chuckled at the thought of Nami being possessive as they both proceeded down the escalator.

.

Nami stared in awe as they reached the bottom. They were in a tunnel that was thickly lined with bullet proof glass. The transparent tunnel was well over three hundred feet long that wound its away along the "ocean floor", simulating a scuba diving adventure. It was amazing seeing all sorts of sea life so close to her. Sanji had taken a few photos with his phone of the both of them but they mainly enjoyed their time in the tunnel.

"Thank you."

"For what? The day isn't done yet."

"I know, but, thank you. You put a lot of thought into taking me here. By the way, as much as I appreciate it, isn't it a bit too pricey?"

"I know a guy who works here and he owed me. There was a time expiration on the tickets on when they were to be used so aren't you glad I rushed you?"

Nami nodded in appreciation and began walking through the rest of the tunnel. At the end was another escalator going up and that led to an amazing amount of various tanks of sea life - which held the maps and navigation notes she was dying to look at. Sanji took more photos of Nami making faces that resembled certain fishes and Nami did the same for him with his phone. They came across a commemorative photo shop that held a skeleton of what used to be a giant, shark's mouth and took a photo there too. The touch pool was just as fun as they took more photos and touched a few live fish.

Nami was enjoying every bit of the aquarium and was getting even more excited for the simulated 'night sky' navigation.

"Sanji, are we almost there?"

"Yes, yes, don't worry. We have a lot of time to get through the maze before the next item on the itinerary."

"There's more after this?"

"Yup."

"Like?"

"Secret."

Nami pouted but didn't argue. She was already content with the surprise he had given her.

They made their way out of the aquarium zone and into the area she was getting excited for. Prior to entering they were each given a panic remote which held a timer and flash light in case they got lost or needed assistance. They were told there were check points among the maze with exit doors in case they felt like they couldn't go any further. They were also told about a reward they would receive for finishing the maze within thirty minutes.

Nami was pumped. She was confident on her skills and wanted that reward called 'one piece'. As they stepped through the door, the timer on their panic remotes began to buzz indicating 'start'. She made Sanji hold onto her hips as she would look up at the pseudo night sky finding her way around with ease. Each check point had a new direction for her to follow and another beep for her panic remote. This was really fun for her.

On Sanji's end, he was quite impressed with Nami. She glided through the maze with ease. Navigating and Cartography really were her strong points. What amazed him was also the fact that she was studying atmospheric science on top of the other two. She was some sort of super woman.

"Final stretch Sanji! How much time we have left?"

Sanji turned his light on to glance at the mini clock on the panic remote.

"Fifteen minutes left."

"Perfect! I'll get us out in seven!"

"Seven? Isn't that an odd number?"

"Yes but it's lucky."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes. Lucky number seven. Seven leaf clovers. Seven days a week-"

"Don't you mean four leaf clovers?"

"Nope. There really are rare seven leaf clovers. They're supposed to be even more lucky than the ones with four leaves."

"Ok, then what about the seven days a week thing you said?"

"Yea seven days a week is lucky for me. Because I get to see you seven days a week. Even if its for two minutes."

"Nami…do you know how corny you just sounded?"

"No I don't. Besides you always sound corny. I'm definitely catching it from you."

"Are you saying its contagious like a disease?" he said playfully, yet trying to sound insulted.

"Yes, now come closer. I want to feel feverish."

"Wow. That was really corny." he laughed out. "I think I've corrupted you."

Nami giggled as he poked her sides and placed an arm around her shoulder.

As they finally made their way to the goal Nami jumped with glee.

"See! I told you. Seven minutes! I amaze even myself! Now where's my prize?"

Nami glided towards the counter with hers and Sanji's equipment. The man from the beginning of the maze had been stationed there and gave her smile.

"Congratulations on finishing the course in…twenty two minutes. Here is your 'one piece' trophy and five free passes to the aquarium for your use anytime - no expiration date. These passes also include dinner or lunch at our 'Under the Sea Restaurant'."

He handed Nami and Sanji each a trophy, their free passes, and took a commemorative photo of them posing with their trophies. But before they left, Sanji asked the same man to take another photo with his phone.

Sanji laced his fingers with hers as they each held a trophy in their free hand. Just as the man was counting down Sanji caught her attention and kissed her on the lips, claiming a sweet, victory photo.

"Oh my, you two sure are sweet." the man mused.

"Sanji!" She gasped.

"What? You sure didn't have a problem with it when you engaged that kiss in front of that lady. I just felt like I _had_ to show off."

Sanji turned to the man and spoke. "Thank you very much for taking our photo. We'll definitely be sure to come back."

"It was my pleasure. Have a great day."

* * *

Back into the car Nami thumbed over her 'one piece'. It was a foot long with a golden star at the top and golden waves spiraling down the shaft of the trophy. The base was made of white marble and held a plate that was personalized for them. Apparently there were different sized trophies for different time frames upon finishing. If they had finished the maze in fifteen minutes the trophy would have been bigger with extra prizes. She definitely wanted to go back.

She looked to Sanji, who had been concentrating on the road, and looked back down to her trophy. She didn't know what to say or ask. The silence was comfortable but she wanted to hear his voice even if it was for a stupid topic. She opened her mouth to say something when Sanji spoke first.

"Did you like the aquarium?"

"Sanji I loved it. It was really fun. I want to go back next time. We have free passes we can use. There were some parts we didn't get to see but that's ok. We have a reason to come back. Also, I want to try to and finish the maze with a better record. I want to see what other free prizes are there."

Sanji chuckled at the thought of going back. He could imagine Nami racing through for her free stuff.

"What? I'm serious. The passes were free. I'm pretty sure next time we go my skills will be better. I want to see the free stuff I can get."

"Free stuff definitely fits your character."

"Sanji, I have a motto I go by. If its free, it's for me, and give me three."

"Why three? Why not ten? Or something?"

"Because 'three' rhymes." she said without a second thought.

"Ok, ok my little frugal princess. How about some lunch?"

As if on cue, her stomach growled softly causing him to chuckle. But he soon regretted his chuckle as fate turned on him. His stomach made a loud, curdling, almost cat-like grumble which caught the both of them off guard. Sanji's face flushed and Nami started laughing.

"Pfft-hahaha! Sanji! Was that your stomach? This is the first time I've heard it growl! It sounds like a dying cat!"

Sanji didn't say anything. He was actually really embarrassed. He always ate small in-between meals that so that his stomach wouldn't make that embarrassing noise. It's been an issue he had since forever so he always did his best not to get hungry. It was also part of the reason he was so lean and in shape. Being athletic helped with his physique but six small portioned meals a day kept his metabolism burning.

Nami began to calm down until her laughter subsided into, the occasional giggle. When they approached a red light she placed her hand on his gently and grinned.

"Sanji, I like animals. If its one thing I hate, its to see or hear a wounded animal." she giggled again. "Since it sounds like a dying cat so of course I'm going to worry a lot. So don't feel embarrassed. Shouldn't you be happy? It brings my attention to you even more?"

Sanji exhaled. Her words helped but he still felt embarrassed. He was supposed to be the cool boyfriend and that definitely wasn't cool. He gave her a light nod as he drove, still holding her hand.

They had gone about another ten minutes driving until they pulled into a parking garage in a large shopping district. It was filled with people leaving or parking and Sanji happened to get lucky with a spot right by the shopping district's main entrance. He turned off his car, grabbed his things, and escorted Nami out just like he had done previously, locking the car after she was out.

As they entered the entrance of the shopping district Nami's jaw dropped. It was bustling with people, shops, boutiques, hair salons, restaurants, you name it, this place had it. Instead of lacing her fingers with Sanji's, she linked her arm around his upper arm, scared she'd get swept away in the large crowd.

As packed as it was, it had a carefree and lively energy. The scenery was amazing as well. Tall, well-lit buildings, neon and chrome signs, giant over head screens, live bands, this place felt like a culture shock. This was the first time she really got to see the city for what it really was. She thought her university and neighborhood was, alive and bustling, but she was so wrong.

Sanji skillfully led them through packs of people, down an alley, and up a flight of concrete steps. At the top of the steps were two large red doors that led into a small Chinese restaurant. The inside had been decorated like your typical Chinese mom and pop restaurant. Red walls, bamboo accents, square and round tables with clear plastic table covers over the white laced table covers, a thick, deep red carpeted floor, and a faded smell of disinfectant solution that hung around the room. It didn't bother Nami in the least. Back in East Blue she frequented to many places like these. They were the cheapest and had a familial aura to it.

The owner of the store had been reading a newspaper at the counter with a toothpick handing from his lips. He was thin, with a balding head and glasses so thick you would wonder if his eyes pressed against them. He looked as if he were in his late sixties but that didn't stop him from showing his youth, jumping from his seat to greet them.

"Hello Sanji, so nice to see you! It's been so long. And who is this lovely lady?"

"Yes its nice to see you too Bohai. This is Nami." Sanji spoke as he placed a hand on her back.

"Nice to meet you miss Nami. You can call me uncle Bo!" said Bohai, with a grin that missed a few too many teeth.

"How's your lovely wife?"

"Bah! That old bitch is still loud and fat!" he scoffed.

"Am I now?" called a woman from behind him.

She had the eyes of an angry bear waiting to claw at her prey. She was much shorter than Bohai, who stood at five foot seven, and much to what Nami didn't expect. Where was the fat? This woman was petite, slim, and aged gracefully. Her black hair was pulled back in a tight bun which showed off her slim cheekbones and creamy colored skin. She was beautiful in Nami's opinion.

The woman punched Bohai's arm and shouted, "You! Get your ass into the kitchen and start cooking or so help me I'll toss you into the street with nothing but the clothes on your back!"

Nami felt a little uncomfortable standing there amongst the argument. Sanji leaned in with a reassuring smile and tone, "Don't mind them. It's how they show their affection."

This was how they showed their affection? What were they like when they showed their hate or disgust? Were they lovey dovey and sweet?

The woman lead Nami and Sanji to a table not too far from the counter and gave them a pitcher of sweet tea as she started small talk with them while they waited for their order. Ten minutes had passed and Nami noticed there was no discussion of food.

"Um, I'm sorry to change the topic but, we didn't get a chance to order yet." Nami said politely.

Sanji and the older woman blinked a bit in confusion and laughed.

"Ah sorry Nami. This place is different from a normal restaurant. Bohai makes his dishes based on his evaluation of a customer."

"Yes, my husband has an interesting talent for making dishes that fit and satisfy customers."

'_Just like Sanji…'_ she thought.

"Ah, I see. Sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude."

The woman blinked and laughed.

"Rude? Young lady you are quite the opposite. You remind me much of myself in the good old days. A nice body, beautiful face, well mannered, and those eyes that hold a lot of promise and determination as well as a fierce side. I can tell there is a temper, but you are a good girl. Yes, much like my younger self."

"Bah! Bitch you are the devil in every way! And ugly to boot! Don't be giving her wrong impressions!" shouted Bohai as he placed their food down onto their table.

As soon as the plates touched the table the woman turned and gave the old man a round house kick which he dodged. Though he counted his blessings too soon as she punched his arm causing him to yelp. She began dragging Bohai by the arm and called out to them, "Ah yes Nami, my name is Huilin! But just call me auntie! Please enjoy your meal!" And with that, they disappeared into the back room.

Glancing at the table Nami saw a plate filled with fried rice in the center and two plates with separate dishes on them. Bohai had made Nami a plate of creamy honey walnut shrimp which was garnished nicely with shredded cabbage while Sanji had spicy crab puffs with a thick, orange dipping sauce.

"So, you come here often?" she said. The way it left her mouth sounded like some cheesy, creepy pick up line but Sanji understood what she meant.

"Used to. This area may be the biggest shopping district in the world but it has the biggest red light district too. Before or after my _appointments_, I ate here a lot by myself and grew friendly with the owners."

"You drove all the way from East Blue to come here? Wasn't that killer on time and gas?"

"Not at all. There's a highway you can take from East Blue or Grand Line City that cuts the travel time in half."

Nami could see he wasn't very comfortable in answering this topic since it meant talking about his past flings, so she decided to just leave it at that. She tried to perk the mood up.

"Ok, so what's after this?"

"Window shopping."

"Oh ok. Wait, really? I thought this whole day was going to be a secret at each destination?"

"Change in plans." he shrugged

"Like?"

"Secret."

"And thus the word 'secret' comes to slap me in the face once more." she deadpanned.

After they had eaten and said their goodbyes, Sanji had stayed true to his word. They went window shopping and it killed Nami. There were so many things she wanted to shop for and come across a necklace that caught her attention but decided against it. She knew very well she was on a budget and just wanted to enjoy her time with Sanji.

The rest of the day had been filled with more window shopping, jokes, ice cream, more photos, and goofing around at the game center. She noticed just how popular Sanji really was. Waves and greetings from a lot other people, discount ice cream, free rounds in the game center… what has Sanji been doing these past two years?

.

.

Later into the day Sanji noticed that their pace had dropped significantly and Nami looked a bit worn out. She tried to hide a yawn by keeping her mouth shut as tight as she could but the flare in her nostrils told him what she was hiding.

"Well, I think we've killed a lot of time today. Shall we go home?"

Nami only nodded as they headed back to the parking garage.

* * *

The moment she sat down was the moment she felt her eyes fall slightly. She honestly didn't think they were going to do as much as they did. Her sleepy spell was slightly broken when Sanji slid into his seat and slammed the door accidentally.

"Sorry, the wind kind of helped me close it."

.

.

There was a lot of traffic leaving the area and Nami felt herself feeling a little more drained.

"There's a lot of cars…" Nami mumbled.

Sanji looked that the dashboard which read five-thirty.

"Everyone is getting out of work and traffic is definitely going to be a pain. Lots of crazy drivers too."

"Mhm." she hummed.

Sanji turned his attention to Nami to say something but stopped. His expression grew soft as he saw her sleeping in her seat. Her back had been against the chair and the door of the car so she could look at Sanji more but obviously she fell asleep. Her head leaned into the chair and her shoulder and she began to bob slightly. If her seat belt wasn't holding her up she would have bobbed over and fell into the emergency brake.

Traffic obviously wasn't going anywhere so he took the opportunity to pull her slightly, trying his best to fix her position. She hummed and moaned softly in protest but she was nothing but a log.

.

The drive was extremely quiet for Sanji and he felt a little lonely. Nami was with him but not with him. Sanji glanced at the dashboard again which read six-fifteen. There clearly was too much traffic for his taste. He wanted to turn on the radio but not at the expense of waking up Nami, so he sat there. He thought about today and how much Nami's face lit up and how many times she smiled. Today must have been awesome for her, even if she didn't know it was her own birthday. Which brought an alarming question to his thoughts. Why did she forget her birthday? Two years alone, working hard, could make one forget to celebrate but not forget the day at all.

His thoughts were interrupted with her mumbling lightly.

"Mmmm…free ice…cream…"

Sanji smiled. She seemed like a child who spent the day at an amusement park. He found her so adorable.

"If its free…its for me…and I'll gladly take three…" she mumbled again.

"Pfft!" Sanji had to stifle his laughter. There it was, her 'motto' she told him about. Even in her sleep she dreamt of free stuff.

She stirred a bit in her sleep and mumbled again. "Sanji…"

Sanji didn't say anything. He wasn't sure if she was talking to him or just sleep talking.

"…Sanji…"

"Hmmm?" was his only response. He wanted to see if she was awake or not.

"Sa..nji…"

Yup, she was sleeping. But what was she dreaming out that she had to say his name? He glanced at her face which was calm and had a small smile on it. It looked like she was having a really good dream since her face was the same. But something caught him off guard - her next set of mumbles.

"…lo…"

'_Lo?'_

"Love…you…Sanji…"

She said it with such a calm, innocent face, and his cheeks began to heat slightly. This was the first time he heard her say it. He was hoping for the day she'd say it out loud but this wasn't how he had hoped it would happen. He knew she loved him through her shouting and yelling that day he confessed, and he didn't want to upset her more, so he said it for her. But, she never said those three little words after they became closer. Actions speak a lot more than words but sometimes, a person needs to hear certain words. He made it known to her and said it often how much he appreciated her and loved her. But she only showed her appreciation to him. But hearing this he was content for when she really would say it to him.

"That's not fair…" he whispered with a smile. "You need to be awake for things like this."

To Be Continued...

* * *

**Hey guys, I haven't been sleeping much since school has been coming to an end and because I'm stupid, I do my work, and then write with no sleep. If there are errors and messed up sentences I'll edit it later hahaha. So I hope you guys like this for now. **

**-Rusala  
**


	16. Tuesday with Nami pt3

Sanji parked two blocks away from Nami's apartment. He didn't want to risk anyone seeing his car. He turned off the car and made his way to Nami's side and poked at her cheek.

"Nami. We're home…ish"

Nami furrowed her brows and opened them slightly with a mumble.

"What?" she asked groggily.

"We're...kinda home" he said again as he poked her cheek.

She opened her eyes slowly and turned to face him. He was squatting on the sidewalk looking into he car and noticed the set of apartments behind him.

"Why are we here? I live another two blocks that way." she groggily said, while pointing her finger in the correct direction.

"I want you to wake up. The day isn't done yet." he said with an energetic smile.

She unbuckled her seat belt slowly and turned to hang her feet out of the door. She was still trying to wake up from the nap she had in the car. Sanji stood up and grabbed both of her hands pulling her out of the car.

"Sorry. I fell asleep." she said groggily.

"Don't worry about it. Now lets get some blood pumping in you!"

Sanji was still holing onto her hands and swung her arms left, right, up, down, and then laced his fingers through hers, urging her arms to pump back and forward. A few people looked their way but thought it was just some couple playing around. Though Sanji's efforts were lame and cute, Nami laughed a bit as Sanji changed his tone of voice to seem feminine and energetically spouted words like, "One, Two, One, Two," and "Come on Nami, keep those arms moving!" Who was he? Richard Simmons?

Seeing she was awake enough to walk two blocks he grabbed their things from the car and walked with her hand in hand up the street. It was slightly dark but there was still the fading yellow tinge that hung in the atmosphere from the setting sun. The street lights began to flicker on and Nami figured it was around seven but she didn't say anything.

When they approached her apartment they made their way up her steps and she began to unlock the door. Sanji pushed her back into it causing a soft thump and kissed her passionately as he tapped against the door. Why was he tapping against the door? His kisses didn't stop and neither did the tapping. Nami was getting irritated at the persistent tapping and scolded him.

"You're ruining the mood that all that damn tapping Sanji!"

Sanji laughed and followed behind her into the dark apartment and turned on the lights of the hallway. It was quiet…too quiet. Before Nami could walk any further he hugged her from behind and kissed her neck lightly. His kisses tickled and she tried to squirm from his grasp but he held on. He finally stopped and rested his chin on her shoulder, purposely over-exhaling to tickle her some more.

"Sanji, I'm thirsty."

"Ok lets go get a drink."

"You're heavy, I can't move."

"I'll walk with you."

"Sanji-"

"Just move your feet and I'll follow. I don't wanna leave this spot."

Nami sighed and spoke in surrender, "You're such a child sometimes."

"You know you like it." he said with a hint of playfulness in his voice.

As the two of them scooted into the dark living room, the lights turned on and the couple was berated with people shouting "Happy Birthday!" as they pulled the strings of their party poppers - causing bits of confetti to fly into Nami and Sanji's hair.

Nami was shocked. She immediately let go of Sanji and shouted, "Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday? I thought your birthday was in March!"

"Nami, what are you talking about?" called a familiar female voice.

Nami turned to see a smile on Robin's face with a puzzled look as well.

"Are you stupid or something?" called Zoro standing behind Robin.

"Huh?" was all Nami could say.

"Nami, this is a SUPER party for you!" cried Franky from the back.

"Birthday? But my birthday isn't until July third."

Everyone gave her a stupefied looked and shouted, "TODAY IS JULY THIRD YOU CRAZY GIRL!"

Nami blinked and laughed hysterically, "Oh was that today? Haha I didn't know!"

"NO DUH!" they shouted in unison.

"Everyone…I don't know what to say."

"If you can't talk then lets eat!" shouted an overly eager Luffy. "I'm starving! The food has been calling to me for a while now!"

Luffy made a dive for the table when Zoro and Law came up and grabbed him by the shirt.

"Birthday girl goes first." stated Law.

"Law you're so cool! Just as cool as Zoro!" Chopper chirped with twinkling eyes.

'_Chopper don't make that face.. It's too damn cute.'_ Law inwardly pleaded.

"FOOD!" Luffy cried

"Well Nami, what would you like to do?" said Sanji, who was still clinging onto her.

Nami sighed and grinned widely.

"Let's eat before that one over there starts a riot." Nami said as she pointed towards the table of food and a hungry Luffy.

.

.

The evening was very fun for Nami. The food was delicious, the jokes and games were hilarious, and the cake was amazing. Sanji had left to make a drink run with Zoro so Nami spoke about her day with Sanji and the trophies they won. Luffy groaned and complained that they should have brought him along and Nami gave him an apologetic smile that said, 'I'll take you next time how about that?'. The rest of the group were interested in this aquarium mainly for the maze and other activities Nami had yet to try.

Chopper suddenly chirped in with his boyish smile that melted Nami to all levels. He was definitely adorable.

"Nami! Open your presents! I want to see your face when you open mine!"

"Chopper, I want to wait until Sanji and Zoro get back."

"Did someone say my name?" Sanji said as walked into the living room with a case of drinks and a grumpy Zoro.

Nami looked at Zoro and spoke. "What's wrong with you?"

"I was perfectly fine going alone." he growled.

"No you weren't! You got lost in a mom and pop shop! Those are the tiniest stores you could walk into! Not even the most directionally deprived person could get lost in there!" shouted Sanji.

"Shut up perv! The shelves were tall and all the same color!"

"But they all had different colored items on them!"

"I'm a grown man and am perfectly capable of finding my way out of a small store like that!"

"No you're not! I had to get the store owner to help me! I swear you're worse than some kid with ADD!"

Hearing the two of them argue sent everyone into a laughing frenzy. To think Zoro was so directionally challenged that Sanji would need the owner's help sent them off the wall.

After everyone had settled down Nami was placed in the center of the couch with Robin and Sanji sitting on either side of her. The coffee table in front of her had been moved to the side so everyone could sit near her or in front of her and each handed her a present.

Chopper wanted to be first but Luffy pushed his way through instead.

"This one is from me Nami!" he grinned.

Nami looked at the neatly wrapped box with dark blue wrapping paper and there was a card attached.

"Happy Nineteenth Birthday Nami!" read the card. Inside was a photo Nami hadn't seen in years. It was the picture the two of them took right before entering high school for her birthday. There was cake smeared on their cheeks and goofy childish grins on their faces while the two of them held an arm around each others shoulders. Nami had been wearing Luffy's straw hat in the picture and smiled some more. No one was allowed to wear his hat but Nami was the exception.

She turned to Luffy, already satisfied with her card and gave him a big hug. "Luffy where did you get this photo?"

"It was sitting in a box back at gramps place with a bunch of other things in it. I took it to the photo store and had them make another copy."

"Luffy thank you." she was really stunned to be honest. Luffy had his moments where he could be really stupid and air headed but he also had his moments of being completely thoughtful.

"Open the box! I didn't just give you the card!"

Nami unwrapped the wrapping paper peeled the tape off of the box that kept it sealed together. Inside was a coral colored picture frame which was literally made of petrified coral and shells. In the center held a glass counterpart in which she could slide the photo into and a steady pull out stand so it could maintain its' balance. It glittered slightly and Nami's heart warmed up even more. Luffy really was something some times. She gave him a hug and placed it back into the box gently, asking Sanji to hold it.

The next present was from Franky and Usopp. The box was a little bigger, heavier, and more rectangular; wrapped with a bright orange wrapping paper that had been taped together with left over 'caution' tapes. Nami eyed the present skeptically as did everyone else. She held it away from herself and peeled at the 'caution' tape slowly, afraid it was some sort of bomb.

"Nami, it's safe! Don't let the SUPER paper and tape give it away!" Franky shouted.

Usopp only nodded in agreement with a smile.

Nami unwrapped it still cautious and opened the shoe box filled with the same color tissue paper. Inside sat a beautiful metal jewelry box with intricate Victorian designs and roses. The shape was rectangular but it looked like a miniature treasure chest with a clasp lock in the front.

"The inside is lined with pacific silver cloth so it won't let your jewelry tarnish." Usopp added.

"Guys this is beautiful. It must have cost a lot." she exhaled

"Not at all. It was SUPER free! We just had to take the time to design and make it."

"You guys made this?" she gasped. "It's so beautiful!"

"Well we're going over metal work in class and since we got an 'A' on this, we thought it would be fitting for a "super" smart girl like you." said Usopp, trying to imitate Franky.

Nami giggled at his attempt to imitate Franky and gave them each a hug.

Chopper was finally next and was absolutely eager. It was yet another box, wrapped with light yellow wrapping paper with a pink bow on the top. It was light but it still had weight to it. There was also a soft rustling noise to it as well. Nami really had no idea what this could have been. Inside the box was a card that sat on top of neatly folded pink tissue paper and Nami read the card. Little tears formed at the edges of her eyes as a smile grew to her face.

"What's it say?" Shouted Luffy.

"Nami, what you mean to me, is more than I can express. Before I met you, I had no sister when I was little, to call when I was in distress. I never could have imagined, what a sister's love was about. Until I met you, was when I really found out. I'm glad I did not have, a sister in the past. Because it's made me much more thankful for the sister I have at last." said Nami as she read the card.

Franky, Brook, and Usopp bad been crying in the room shouting about how 'SUPER' and 'adorable' the poem was.

Nami squealed as she brought Chopper into a tight hug. "YOU REALLY ARE THE ADORABLE LITTLE BROTHER I ALWAYS WANTED!"

Chopper started to cry in Nami's embrace, "Nami don't disappear again ok? Now open the rest."

Nami let go of Chopper and nodded while removing the tissue paper from the inside of the box. On top was a light pink sweater that looked all too familiar. She had been looking for this for years.

"Nami, before you left, you gave me your sweater to keep me warm when I was soaking wet. I never got a chance to return it so I held onto it. But that's not the only present. Look at the bottom of the box."

Nami followed his command and looked inside once more. There were countless amounts of puzzle pieces scattered along the bottom of the box, but there was a laminated photo amongst it as well. Nami lifted the photo for a better look and smiled even more. It was a group photo of everyone before she had left. It was supposed to have been a lovely group photo but you could see the chaos that occurred the moment the timer set off. Sanji and Zoro were pushing each other, Luffy and Brook had been pinching Chopper's cheeks wide, Franky and Usopp were pulling 'SUPER' poses, and Nami and Robin had been laughing at everyone. Nami could only guess that the photo indicated what the puzzle should have looked like.

Brook had played a song for her on his guitar as a present and gave her the flash drive which held it. He then asked if she wanted to see his underwear which got him a kick to the face. "Yohohohoho I thought that would have been better than to ask to see yours!"

Law had given her a 3D jigsaw puzzle that was the shape of a star. It came with it's own mini pedestal to place upon once completed. Robin had given her a book she had been dying to read, and Zoro gave her whiskey he was supposed to give to her for her eighteenth birthday. "Don't let it go to waste. It was hard not touching it for two years." he scolded.

Just as Nami was about to stand up and give another thanks, Sanji placed a hand on her shoulder, keeping her on the couch.

"Its my turn." he said with a smile

"What? You're giving me a present? I thought today's outing was your present?"

"Nope."

He handed her a small, black gift bag with mauve colored trimmings and ribbons on it. It really looked like something Sanji would pick out. The logo on the bag looked familiar but Nami couldn't remember why. She opened the bag and saw a rectangular, flat, black box and looked back at Sanji. He only smiled as he took his drink and sipped at its contents. The little black box out held the same logo from the bag. She opened the box and looked at Sanji again. It was the necklace that caught her attention. Before she could say anything Zoro spoke up.

"Oh, of course, get her an expensive gift and make the rest of us look like chumps."

"It wasn't expensive at all. It was on sale and I got an extra discount from the sales woman."

"Sanji…" Nami spoke, she was in awe as she pulled out the necklace.

It was the murano glass heart necklace she had her eyes on when they went window shopping. She held it in the air to get a better look at it. The molten glass was rolled over the matt amethyst in the shape of a heart and hung from a delicate black organza ribbon with metal clasps. It was even more beautiful up close.

The first thing she did was slap Sanji's arm.

"Sanji, even on sale this was almost 50 Beli! Besides when did you even leave my side to buy it?" she scolded.

"I said I got an extra discount off of it. The woman was a previous customer of mine and I gave her a discount once so she returned the favor. I never would have guessed it was her at the shop until she said something to me."

"But that doesn't answer my second question. When did you leave my side? We were stuck like glue all day."

"Nami I left to the bathroom when we were at the game center. Remember?"

"Yea for like five minutes."

"No, it felt like five minutes to you. Nami I was gone for almost twelve minutes. By the time I came back you were already at level twenty for that game you were playing."

Nami slapped his arm again. "You left me alone for almost twelve minutes is some game center in the middle of a huge city?"

Sanji shrugged and smiled sheepishly and she slapped his arm one more time. "Thank you. It's beautiful."

Luffy had been laughing hysterically in the background shouting, "If this is what he gets for buying her a present then what happens when they have sex?"

"Oi, don't be talking about gross stuff like that!" shouted Zoro.

"Oi! Marimo! Sex with Nami is not gross!" retorted Sanji.

"EEHHH? YOU GUYS DID IT ALREADY?" shouted Usopp.

Law had been covering Chopper's ears the entire time, hoping to preserve his innocence while Chopper gave confused looks to Law.

"No we did not! Stop assuming weird things!" Nami shouted as she punched Usopp on the head.

"OW! That's SUUPPPPEEERRR! CONGRATS!"

"There's nothing to congratulate because nothing happened!"

"Yohohoho! Nami, sex is a wonderful thing between a man and woman! No need to be shy!"

"WHO IS BEING SHY? NOTHING REALLY HAPPENED!"

With that the guys were quiet and looked at one another for a moment before bursting out again.

"What? Sanji what kind of man are you? You should have had sex with her already!" shouted Usopp.

"Don't criticize me about being a man. You're still a virgin!"

Usopp's face turned red and retorted back, "O-O-Of course I'm not a virgin! It was a nice summer day by the river bank when I lost it! She was really beautiful and had the best looking breasts-"

"I don't want to hear it! Even if it's a fake story I don't want to hear it!" Nami shouted covering her ears.

"Oi, it's not fake! It's real!"

"Yohohoho how promiscuous of you Usopp! Mine was-"

"SHUT UP!" hollered Nami. "You guys are gross!"

"Ow! None of you guys can top my SUPER experience!"

"WAIT! What what about Luffy?" Usopp shouted.

Everyone who had been listening turned their attention towards Luffy with a questioning look. They only just realized that the word 'sex' was in his vocabulary for the first time.

"What?" asked Luffy, with a confused looked on his face.

"Have you had sex before Luffy?" asked Usopp

Luffy used his pinky finger to pick the wax out of his ear when he bluntly stated, "Yea." and tried flicking the wax off of his finger.

"DON'T FLING THAT SHIT IN THIS HOUSE! THAT'S FUCKING NASTY!" shouted Nami

"WHAT!" Usopp shouted, falling over in tears.

Luffy didn't listen to either of them as he still kept trying to fling the wax off of his finger.

"LUFFY! I JUST SAID DON'T FLING THAT SHIT IN HERE! WIPE IT IN A NAPKIN DAMMIT!"

Robin had been secretly packing food for everyone to take home as she enjoyed the out roar her friends created. Nami finally joined her with a worn out expression.

"It went from a nice birthday to a crude conversation about sex. I'm hearing things I don't want to or need to…and Luffy flung his wax somewhere in here and I don't want to find it later…"

Robin gave her a slightly disturbed but sympathetic smile as she packed more food away. She wasn't crazy about finding the wax either.

After another twenty minutes of shouting, sharing experiences, arguing, and laughing, it was finally time for everyone to leave. Nami and Robin had given everyone plates packed with food and and saw them out. They shouted back from the road with final 'Happy Birthday' greetings to Nami and were on their way.

Zoro and Sanji had stayed behind to help clean up and spend some alone time with the ladies. Robin and Zoro had disappeared into her room and left Sanji and Nami in the living room to relax.

"Zoro's staying the night?" Sanji asked skeptically. He didn't like the idea of Zoro sleeping over.

"Yea. He's been staying over a lot lately and they think I don't notice. It's obvious when you hear _noises_ echoing through the hall and into my room."

"That shitty moss head. Having no disregard for who is in the apartment. And to think he's dong _those_ types of things with Robin…"

"Well, whatever. I don't mind just as long as I don't walk in on them."

"Hey, for fun do you wanna creep them out and make noises too? Just shout and moan a few things from here."

Nami slapped his arm playfully.

"You're such a pervert."

"I am no such thing." he said, trying to sound insulted.

"The answer is no."

Sanji leaned into Nami's ear and spoke.

"Then how about we make noises as quietly as possible?" he said huskily, with a playful smile.

The way that last sentence left his lips sent chills running down Nami's spine. It wasn't helping that he began to nibble on her ear gently, letting a soft whimper escape her lips. This was one of her sweet spots and it drove her crazy when he nibbled it. He softly kissed against her jaw line and made his way to her lips, leaning into her even more as she leaned back. His kisses were definitely the only kisses that could sweep her away in moments like these.

Laying her down, he moved lower to her collar bone and began to lick in small circular motions while sucking ever so gently against her skin. She really loved the way it felt and laced her hands through his hair. He had just slipped his hands under her shirt when Nami spoke.

"Sanji…" she said, with a hint of awkward in her voice.

His hand had been resting on her belly and looked up at her with a puzzled look. Her brows were furrowed as her fingers were still in his hair.

"What's wrong?"

"There's something in your hair…"

"What?"

Nami ran her fingers through what felt soft and hard at the same time and took a look at what had stuck to her fingers. Sanj couldn't see what was in her fingers and looked at her curiously. She looked at it's amber color and the amount that was in her fingers before her face paled and shuddered underneath Sanji.

"What is it?"

"GGYYAAAAHH! THAT'S SO GROSS!" Nami squealed as she squirmed out of Sanji's arms.

"What! What is is?"

Nami ran to the sink still shuddering with Sanji following behind.

"IT'S THE WAX I TOLD LUFFY NOT TO FLING! IT'S SO GROSS! I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you couldn't get an idea of what the necklace looks like, here is a link of the image. I give full credit to the site I found it on. ** . /**  
**

**Also, the poem from Chopper wasn't mine either. I give full credit to** **Jennifer D. Brock who wrote the poem "My Sister". I really had a brain fart in trying to make Chopper's gift have more emotions tied to it due to their close relationship. It really did seem like something he would write to her though.**

**Don't run away. Coming up, some secrets will be revealed, topics will be addressed, maybe a problem or two will arise, maybe Nami and Sanji can finally have a sexy moment XD  
Will Nami ever get a job? Find out more in the later chapters :)  
**

**Thanks for reading!  
**


	17. Wait what?

The day after her birthday Nami had given Luffy a proper beating and taught him the importance of not flicking ear wax, or anything, that came from his body. The guys had laughed at Sanji about the mood that Luffy ruined, and Robin gave her sympathies towards Nami, though she laughed with pity for Nami.

The rest of that week had gone by as it would have any other week. Nami went to school, went out on dates with Sanji, hung out with Robin, and hung out with the rest of her friends. It really was just a simple week.

The week after that was just the same. Their summer session had been coming to a close, thus more work and tests were handed out, and the heat was increasing. But it was the same as usual. It bothered Nami.

Ever since her little 'sexy morning', all she ever got to do was make out with Sanji. He never touched her any further than their simple hugs, joking manners, romantic embraces, or hand holding. She had so much sexual frustration building up but she couldn't be upfront about it with him. But this happened to be at the bottom of her list at the moment. Her main concern was money.

Nami needed a job. Her tutoring sessions with Sanji had been dragging on ever since his writing issues had been fixed. He didn't need her to tutor him anymore and she was just taking his money, which she didn't like. She liked money in every aspect but she disliked the idea that Sanji was just handing her money for nothing. She knew very well he was doing this because he was her boyfriend. His intentions meant well but she couldn't be his tutor forever. It left an unsettling feeling in her stomach.

.

.

Nami had been eating lunch with Robin, just a little further away from their normal table. They usually did this when they wanted to talk with a bit more privacy without being too far from their friends.

"Two more weeks and the semester will be over huh?" Nami mumbled.

"Indeed." Robin replied, as she began to sip her tea. "Anything you would like to share?"

"Hmm?"

Robins words had slowly pulled Nami out of the daze she had fallen under.

"I know that look. Tell me, what's on your mind." Robin gave her a calm smile which Nami loved.

"It's Sanji."

"Oh? What about him?"

"He's such a good boyfriend."

"And is there anything wrong with that?"

"Yes. He's too good of a boyfriend and I feel like a lousy girlfriend. He doesn't need me to tutor him anymore but he keeps insisting he needs the help. He's making me drag on his tutoring sessions because he knows he's my only source of income at the moment. I have enough in my savings to pay for the next four months worth of rent including daily expenses, just as long as I budget my money wisely - which we both know I do very well."

Nami looked over to the group of men laughing and arguing and sighed.

"But seriously, Sanji is too good of a boyfriend. I know for a fact he'll keep insisting on our tutoring sessions even after I get a job."

"Have you talked to Sanji about it?"

"I've tried. He always makes excuses like, 'Oh Nami, I still am in desperate need of your excellent guidance' and stuff like that. We both know its because he wants to help me in my funds."

"Well that's endearing. But you need to put your foot down or slap him silly until he understands if it bothers you." Robin said simply.

"I should, shouldn't I?" she giggled

She looked towards Sanji who waved at them with a grin and turned her attention back to Robin who sipped at her tea some more.

"Robin, do you know anyone or any place that's hiring at the moment? Even if its temporary work it's fine."

"Well I do know a few places, though you and Sanji definitely wouldn't approve."

"Like?"

"There is Amazon. They're always looking for -"

"Next."

Robin giggled at how fast Nami shot down her first suggestion. "What happened to, 'Even if its temporary work it's fine'?"

"Anywhere but Amazon."

"Before I give any more suggestions, why don't you ask Sanji for a job at his father's restaurant? They hire anyone who wants to work. Clearly Sanji is your connection in."

"I can't ask him for that. I can't use the boyfriend card he's been holding out for me. If I did that I might as well stay his 'tutor'. Besides, Sanji is very diligent I'm sure, but I don't want to be his distraction at work."

Robin gave Nami a thoughtful expression and looked over to Sanji one more time. What had caught her attention was a strange scenery. Apart from everyone else in the group, Zoro and Sanji had been doing the same as the women, sitting a little ways from everything - talking. Though it was strange, they actually were talking. Nami had noticed the strange site as well and both women were curious as to what could have been their conversation.

.

.

Zoro and Sanji stop talking to glance at the women who had been staring at them. Certainly they didn't think it was impossible for Zoro and Sanji to have a decent conversation as well, did they? Suddenly Zoro's ringtone for Robin's texts played through.

'_What are you two talking about?'_

Zoro looked at Sanji and showed him the text message. Sanji read the text and looked over to Nami and Robin's table. Why was it any of their concern? Did it look _that_ strange for them to have a conversation? But what were the ladies talking about?

"Write the same message back." Sanji said.

'_What are _you_ two talking about?' _he wrote back.

Just as soon as he had sent his text and continued to talk to Sanji his phone rang again. Zoro read the text aloud and spoke as he wrote another text.

'_We're talking about you boys.'_

'_Small world. We're talking about you girls too.'_

'_I see. Well, don't let us bother you then : )'_

The girls had gone back to talking and gossiping which led the guys to wonder what those text messages were about. Zoro definitely didn't like the idea of the smiley face at the end of the text. Sometimes it meant bad things and sometimes it meant really good things, so he figured he would have to be careful later.

"So…" Sanji broke into his thoughts. "What's your opinion?"

"She's got a big pride too when it comes to money. She'll tell you to stop soon."

"Well what about my _other _two predicaments?"

"You're screwed. Simple as that. You didn't tell her about your situation with the old man. If you offer her a job she'll find out and throw a fit. If you don't then you're a boyfriend with good intentions but a bad one for not offering her a proper job. She'll feel like she's just a paid companion eventually. And that _other_ thing, how many rounds are you going at a time?"

"Almost four now."

Zoro let out a low whistle. "You're screwed. You'll lose your libido before you guys even do anything. If that's not the case, you'll probably become a beast, eat her up, and scare her away. But don't worry prince curly, I'm sure something will work out. Who knows, maybe she'll eat you up. Watch it though. If she eats you up you can say goodbye to your pride as a man."

.

.

After Robin had listed a variety of places that were hiring, Nami rejected them all.

"Robin you weren't joking when you said I wouldn't approve."

"Well, I just happen to know…_interesting_ people." she shrugged.

Nami hung her head in defeat until a light bulb in her head turned on.

"Franky! Can you come here for a moment?" She called from her seat.

"What's up?"

"Franky, I need a job. Do you know anyone or place that's looking? Temporary jobs are ok."

"I can make a few calls for you but don't get your hopes up."

Nami gave him an apologetic yet appreciative smile and spoke gently, "Sorry for putting you in this situation."

"Not at all! Anything for my SUPER friend!"

* * *

Later that day, Nami was in her room when Sanji entered from the hallway. She had been laying on her bed, staring straight up at the ceiling. She felt the bed shift slightly and looked to her right. Sanji had laid on his back and began to stare at the ceiling as well. Her attention turned back up to the ceiling and started trailing her fingers on Sanji's hand. Every time Nami did this, Sanji knew it meant she wanted to hold hands. He laced his fingers with hers and she spoke.

"I'm ending the tutoring sessions."

Sanji still kept his gaze at the ceiling and exhaled. He had a feeling this would have been the main topic of the evening.

"Are you sure my penmanship is ok enough to drop the sessions?"

"Sanji, we both know why you're doing this. I appreciate the gesture, really I do, but lets stop. I'm a big girl. I've been looking for jobs so don't worry about it."

"Then how about we keep my sessions until you start another job?"

"No. I feel like a gold digger."

"But you're not." Sanji spoke with tone that sounded a little upset. This is what Zoro had warned him about earlier in the day. How could she have thought that?

"To make a long story short, don't worry about me. I can find a job, eventually."

"Nami, of course I'm going to worry about you. I don't want to see you struggling. Especially when I know I can help."

Nami let go of his hand and rolled to her right side to look at Sanji. He was being persistent but two could play that. Sanji rolled to his left and looked at her as well. He noticed the slight furrowing of her brows and he knew she was getting upset. Nami looked at his face which upset her a little more. His face held a soft, yet stoic expression that was open to listening to her but not open to ending their sessions.

"But I'm not struggling."

"Right now you're not." he sighed.

Nami felt insulted by his statement. It was calm and patient, yet she didn't like how it sounded almost condescending - as if he was the adult and she was the child.

"Sanji, I'm nineteen. That means I'm an adult. Don't get all parental on me."

"Parental? I'm not getting parental Nami, I'm just concerned." he furrowed his brows slightly and stared hard into her eyes. His voice carried a serious undertone, regardless of how calm he tried to sound.

"Sanji, just let me do what I want and give me your support."

"Of course I give you my support." he spoke, raising his volume slightly.

"Then end the sessions. You don't even need them anymore. You're basically paying my rent and I don't want that. So lets just end them."

Why was this turning into an argument? It was one of the most simplest conversations ever but they found a way to make it difficult. The more Nami thought about it, this was their first real argument. Both sides had some valid points but it was all based on personal satisfactions and concern for one another.

"After you get a job."

"_NO_. Sanji, stop being so damn adamant about it. I have four months worth of rent and living expenses in my savings. I can manage until I get a job."

"And if you don't?"

"Wow, that's some confidence you have in me." she spat dryly.

"There is no guarantee you'll find a job within four months. Logically, people get jobs at the beginning of summer so they have a guaranteed position later throughout the year. Getting one now after most places stopped receiving applications is going to be rough. It's not as simple as you make it out to be."

"You think I don't know that? Sanji I know how hard it is better than anyone!"

"I know that and I don't like the idea of you taking it out of your savings! It's called savings for a reason! So just let me help."

"Sanji you need to be focusing on yourself too! We're both college students and you can't keep supporting me! You have your own place, your bills, and expenses you need to attend to. Besides it doesn't make sense that you're paying for my rent. We're not living together, we're not fiancés, we're not married, we're boyfriend and girlfriend."

Nami's statement upset him. Just because they were boyfriend and girlfriend didn't mean he couldn't pay for her rent. It felt like she was pushing him away. He didn't know what to say but just said anything that would leave his lips.

"Then marry me and we won't have to worry about it!" he shouted.

"…"

"…"

Did he really just say that? They haven't been in a relationship for a full month and he was able to say something like that? The look on Nami's face was pure and utter shock. She had no idea what to say to him and the look on Sanji's face said the same thing.

"Wh-What?" she stuttered

"I-I'm sorry! I got c-caught up in the mood and said something in the s-spur of the m-moment." he stuttered back.

They just continued to stare at one another with the same, surprised look on their faces. This was absolutely awkward.

'_Say something…anything… Wait, what does someone say at this moment? Anything is better than this silence...right...?'_ She thought.

"I, uh…" Sanji swallowed hard and closed his eyes. He had to change the subject back to what it was. He inhaled deeply and looked at Nami again. Her face was heated and her eyes were looking at her bed sheets. He cleared his throat and swallowed again.

"Nami, about your savings… I don't want you to repeat the same cycle you went through in high school. Juggling jobs to get by and not relying on any of us….you can't do that again... it scares the shit out of me because I don't know when you might disappear again."

"Sanji…I won't disappear again…I promised everyone…" she mumbled.

He scooted closer to her, closing the distance as much as possible and brought his hand to her face, lightly thumbing across her upper cheek bone. "Nami, look at me…"

Her eyes slowly moved to look into his. She hated this look but she loved it too much as well. She felt insecure in them, loved, and so exposed. She couldn't get away from these eyes no matter how much she wanted.

"I love you too damn much to see you struggle and I'll be damned if see a repeat of what I saw at the coffee shop."

'_Coffee shop? Wait…'_ she thought. She spoke up. "Sanji, what are you-"

"Nami, I saw you working two weeks after graduation."

"…"

"I thought I was hallucinating at first so I dropped by the next day to observe. I really wasn't sure it was you and came back a few more times until I saw you throwing a fit with your co-worker. You looked like a completely different person in the shop. I never would have imagined that you would let your hair grow out. The next couple of times, I had just missed you or you weren't working. One night, at closing, I was going to confront you after work but you never left and slept over. In all honesty I wanted to break the doors down but there were video cameras. I came back the next day to talk to you but you weren't there, so I showed up the day after but your manager said you had resigned the day before. I went to your place immediately but I was too late and your neighbor informed me that you moved earlier that morning."

Nami was shocked. Sanji saw her. She had been so sure she wasn't discovered the entire time but Sanji found her.

"Sanji…" Nami didn't know what to say.

Sanji placed a hand on her shoulder and trailed down to her elbow in a soothing motion.

"Twice you disappeared before my eyes and when you sat next to me in class I felt like I could have died from shock. The tension that was there in class pissed me off. You were so close to me yet you felt so damn far away. If I didn't write that note to you we wouldn't be here."

"Sanji I-"

"Let me finish." his words were soft, soothing even. But that expression on his face spoke too much. No matter how soft or gentle he smiled there was that desperation and hurt expression underneath it.

"Even now, I always have this fear that when I go to class the next morning you won't be there. So these sessions reassure me that you'll always come back if it helps you financially."

This was, without question, strange for Nami to hear. It placed a guilty feeling in her stomach. Sanji was cool, romantic, and just amazing. Seeing this side of him felt like uncharted territory. Not only did he argue with her but he was showing a rather vulnerable side too. She could tell it was a side he never wanted to show her. She thought his feelings were endearing but she had no clue her disappearance had that much of an effect on him. To fear going to bed every night at the risk of not seeing your loved one the next day…she really felt her heart being tugged at.

"I seem so damn needy…it's the complete opposite of what I want you think-"

"Sanji, are you finished?" she abruptly spoke.

Sanji nodded slightly; unsure of what she was going to say to him. Nami leaned in for a kiss and cuddled herself into him. Sanji responded by wrapping an arm around her waist and kissed her forehead very hesitantly.

"You start thinking the stupidest things when I leave you alone."

Sanji's face heated slightly and replied.

"Hey, that's not nice to say. I'm being honest."

"I'm being honest too. Stop thinking stupid things and have faith in me."

"Nami-"

"Just listen. I have other things I love other than money you know. I'm not leaving, so its ok to stop our tutoring sessions. Don't worry about me, I'm able to work wonders when I'm hitting rock bottom, so have more faith in me. If I need your help, I will ask you for it. I promise."

She wiggled herself from Sanji slightly and looked him in the face. She began to open her mouth to say something but found no words leaving her lips. Sanji searched her face for what she was going to say next. Was she done? He didn't know but he was about to say something when she fidgeted in her spot and finally sputtered some words.

"And…uh…if…if uh… o-one day…we do…something…like…m-marriage…um…"

The conversation was painful in a comedic sort of way. It was awkward for her to bring up the topic but it was even more awkward for Sanji to hear her _try_ to bring it up. He was brought into the realization of how bold and stupid he was earlier. He really did love Nami, but he didn't think he would have shouted the word "marry" to her; especially in an argument. Just what did he mean when he said that? Not even Sanji knew. She tried to say more when his cell phone began to ring.

'_Thank god!'_ he thought

Pulling his phone from his back pocket, he brought it to his ear and answered. Nami's face had been red and so was his. He didn't make eye contact with her but she continued to stare at his face.

"Yea? … No she's right here… I don't relay messages just talk to her…yea…hold on."

Sanji still didn't look at Nami. He was too embarrassed to. He carefully handed his phone to her and she hesitantly took it from his long, slender fingers. The phone had barely reached her ear when she heard Franky shouting on the other end.

"Hey Nami! I have some SUPER news!"

"He-Hello Franky." she said as she cleared her throat. "What's up?" She said, with a more enthusiastic tone.

"I made a call to an old friend of mine and he's looking for a receptionist. The schedule is flexible and the pay is good. They're taking your schedule into account and will offer you full time when you need it."

"Really?" she exclaimed.

It was as if her prayers were being answered. Not only was she getting a job but she was pulled away from that awkward topic. Nami shot up from her bed and ran to her desk, digging around for paper and a pen. Upon finally finding her writing materials she began writing down the necessary items needed for the job.

Sanji had returned to laying on his back, staring at the ceiling, and thought hard about their conversation. What did Nami really mean to him? She was beautiful, funny, lovely, vivacious, energetic, frugal, a hothead sometimes, but she was just amazing.

..._Then marry me and we won't have to worry about it! ...  
_

Sanji inwardly groaned as his statement replayed and echoed throughout his mind. He loved Nami but he didn't think he'd ever say that to her, at least not this soon. This was too soon, even for him. For all he knew, she could end their relationship in a few months. All he knew was that he loved her, but the topic marriage this soon, was completely out of the question. So why did he say it? Was it really caused by the heat of the argument? The fear she would leave if she wasn't financially stable? Or was it because he really loved her that much? Was it a combination of the three?

Any way you look at it, spouting about marriage when a couple hasn't been together that long was absurd; and in some cases extremely creepy. It places unnecessary pressure on the recipient's end to 'own up' or 'take it or leave it'. This wasn't about 'taking the plunge' anymore. Sanji had been reckless with his emotions and choice of words that he took the whole toilet bowl rather than the 'plunge'.

His thoughts were brought back to reality as Nami tossed his phone onto his stomach, causing a slight, 'oof' from him. Nami joined him and copied his pose on her bed, staring at her ceiling. They were completely silent. The only sound in the room was the soft blowing from her air conditioner. It felt desolate in there. Regardless of how close they were physically, it felt as if they were on two different parts of the world.

* * *

Later at dinner it was still awkward between them. They did their normal routine of cooking and preparing together, they spoke about random topics and school, but there was the lingering tension of awkwardness hanging in the air. They were so desperate to avoid the subject that they called Robin and Zoro, who had planned to eat out, to join them for dinner.

The air was so heavy when Robin and Zoro arrived. They knew something was off. They could see the awkwardness between the two and Zoro could only think that Sanji screwed up in sex. Robin maintained her smile and composure as she kept conversations going for as long as she could, trying to ease the awkwardness. It helped a lot but it was still there, lingering, as if it could choke you the moment you try to open your mouth.

This was too much. The atmosphere left a bad aftertaste in Zoro's mouth, and it definitely wasn't the food.

"Alright spill it. What's with you two?"

Hearing Zoro's voice made Nami jump slightly and she glanced towards her finished plate - picking at the remnants with her fork. Zoro turned his attention to Sanji, who stood up to take his plate to the sink and wash it. Just what happened between the two?

"Did you guys try having sex?"

At this point Nami and Sanji's attention shot to him with shock.

"Wh-what? No, of course not." Nami spouted.

"Marimo, how could you suggest something so crude at the dinner table?" gulped Sanji.

"Well the air is too damn heavy and awkward in here. Something obviously happened and its so damn irritating that Robin and I are being used as a medium. So? Did you try having sex? Come too fast? Erectile dysfunction? Or could it be that Sanji's gay?"

"Oi oi, watch your damn mouth Marimo."

"Sanji is one hundred percent straight! We just...had a little argument…that's all."

"Well little arguments don't leave heavy, awkward feelings. They leave hissy, pissy ones. Shall we do some one-on-one couple's counseling on your sorry asses?"

"N-no. We're good." Nami cleared her throat and perked up her tone. "Oh yea guess what? I have a job! I'm meeting with the owner and his secretary for basic training this week."

Robin only continued to smile as Nami tried so hard to change the topic.

"Really? That's wonderful. Where?"

Nami calmed down hearing Robin's voice go along with the subject change. She really was like the mother of the group. That calm, loving demeanor, with wisdom as wide as the universe, and an understanding personality. Robin would definitely make a wonderful mother in the future.

"Galley-La Company."

"Galley-La? Why does that sound familiar?" mumbled Zoro

"Isn't that the prominent company of the best shipwrights and engineers?" asked Sanji.

"Yup. Franky said a relative of his owns it and they need a receptionist."

"Well I think this is a good opportunity. How about we venture into your closet and pick out something lovely and receptionist appropriate?" Robin suggested.

She stood up and motioned Nami to follow. Nami more than gladly obliged to Robin's suggestion and the two of them left to Nami's room. She was glad she could get away from the awkwardness for a moment.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the front steps of the apartment, Zoro slowly drank his beer as he kept an eye on Sanji. In Sanji's left hand, held an open, yet still full beer can, while his right supported his lit cigarette. He had lit it to smoke away the weird feeling in his stomach but never brought it to his lips after his first light and puff. The ashes had begun to grow longer and limp as it barely hung off of what was left of the cigarette. The condensation from the beer had grown as well as it created a miniature pool where it dripped to.

"Oi, make up your mind. Booze or smokes." Zoro said, eyeing the untouched beer can.

Sanji glanced down at his left hand and sighed.

"Here…" he said, handing the drink to his friend.

Sanji flicked his already dead cigarette and lit a new one. This time taking a long, deep inhale. As Zoro was so sure Sanji wasn't going to say anything, he found himself spitting the contents of his beverage. Not only was it slightly warm but Sanji had muttered something that shocked even Zoro.

"…marry me and we won't have to worry about it…"

"What?" Zoro coughed.

Sanji inhaled deeply again, finishing his cigarette, and swiftly lit another cigarette. Once he felt a bit more calm he explained everything from the beginning of the conversation he had with Nami.

Zoro didn't say anything at first. He chugged the last of the, now, warm beer and cleared his throat. Out of nowhere he began laughing hysterically.

"Are you retarded?" he laughed out

"OI! It's not funny Marimo!"

"Hell yea its funny! You're so damn stupid!"

Sanji placed a foot on Zoro's arm and pushed him over the steps.

"OI ASSHOLE! What the fuck was that for!" Zoro hollered

"You were asking for it!"

Zoro began dusting his clothes and sat back down next to Sanji. He still laughed here and there but he was calming down a bit.

"Just leave it be. You guys will get over it. Besides, that's what things will eventually lead to later. You get to know someone, you grow on each other, you take one another for their every being, you tie the knot, have babies, and grow old together. Being a boyfriend or girlfriend is just the baby steps for what the outcome will lead to. This is supposed to the time frame for mistakes, fights, and growth."

Sanji was stunned. Did something mature and thoughtful actually come out of Zoro's lips? Zoro looked towards Sanji and immediately felt pissed.

"What's with that smug look?" he grumbled

"The algae is able to speak words of wisdom! To think the mystical, all knowing Robin, would be able to work some magic even on you."

"You can say that… but just let things run it's course. I'll be honest, I don't see myself with anyone but her. Marriage isn't in our vocabulary just yet but its not like it won't lead to it one day. God forbid she leaves me but-"

"I thought you were an atheist?" Sanji quickly interjected

"Anyways… I can understand your feelings. To love someone enough that you'd do anything to stay close…"

Sanji's expression had relaxed a lot more. It felt weird but Zoro's encouraging words were a nice change of pace.

"Anyhow, don't sweat the small shit. Women like hearing crap like that anyways. Just don't mention it again until she does…or just wait until the time is right to mention it again… But, for the record, if you guys are going to get this awkward after that conversation, what will it be like when you actually get intimate? Also, how pissed do you think she'll be when she discovers the other half of your profession? And what about your place? I'm not going saying anything to her. So choose your words and timing carefully."

Sanji swung his head in defeat. He'd forgotten about his living situation if it weren't for Zoro to remind him. "Yea…" was all he could muster.

"I'm not going to lie but, Robin and I have been talking about living together. Sleep-over's aren't cutting it anymore, for either of us."

"It's been a good two years for you guys huh? I can't say it wasn't expected."

"We both like our space but we're crossing that line of sharing already. She's just having a harder time deciding. She can't stand the idea of leaving Nami for me. Not that I mind. I'm in no rush. I know she still wants to be as close to Nami as she can. Especially after being reunited. But that turns my attention to you again. You need to be completely honest with Nami. She's not stupid and I'm sure she suspects your car. She's got the idea that you do ok and thinks most of your money goes to bills and shit. If you hide it any longer she's going to put the puzzle pieces together. What will happen when Robin completely agrees to move into a place with me? I don't doubt Nami can pay for the apartment herself but that might give her the feeling of wanting to move in with you too. Or at least the feeling of wanting to see or sleep over at your place."

"I know, I know. I'm still working on it."

"Well work on it faster." Zoro said as he placed a and on Sanji's shoulder.

* * *

As Zoro and Sanji had been talking, so had Nami and Robin. Nami sat at the edge of her bed facing the walking in closet, drawing a circle on her thigh with her finger. Robin was quiet as she scanned over all of Nami's clothes with a thoughtful expression. There was always something about Robin's silence in situations like these that made Nami eventually spill what she's been holding in.

Robin grabbed a few articles of clothing and began hanging them together when Nami finally spoke.

"Ok, I'll talk."

"Good girl." Robin smiled.

Robin continued picking through clothes as Nami spoke. If Robin was taken aback, she clearly showed no signs. She only put more clothes together. Nami felt a little edgy because of Robin's silence, but waiting patiently to hear a reply. As Robin placed the final outfit with the others she had picked out, she leaned in the closet's entrance with a smile.

"I'm stunned."

"You sure don't look it."

"Well, I am. In a good way I suppose. Isn't it romantic?"

"What part of that was romantic?"

"Think about it Nami. He was arguing with you because he was concerned about your financial status. Having him shout 'Then marry me and we won't have to worry about it' was him showing he wanted to take care of you. I do feel that it was said a little too soon, but don't worry about it. Knowing Sanji, he'll try his best not to seem like he's pushing you into anything such as marriage. Zoro had done something similar once but it was much more vague and around the bush. So in Sanij's case, it was something to say as he was caught up in the moment. He still hasn't touched you right?"

"What?" Nami gasped

"I can clearly tell the two of you have yet to become intimate."

"Well, there was that night after the bar…and that one Saturday morning…"

"Not like that. He's very patient with you and he would never do something you wouldn't like. He treats you gently as if you were a jewel. How should I say it…he's earnest and blindly devoted to you. It's because of that reason that he's taking his time with you."

"I get what your saying but what does being intimate-"

"Just forget what he said." Robin said, so simplistically. "It's clear he wants to stay by your side. He just, used the wrong choice of words. So just let things happen. If you guys talk about it, that's fine. It doesn't mean anything unless it was a serious proposal. If you guys don't talk about it then isn't that fine too?"


	18. Of firsts and

It was just as Robin and Zoro had said. Nami and Sanji let things run their course and two weeks of slight, awkward feelings gradually disappeared like nothing had ever happened.

Their summer semester had already ended and Nami had been increasing her working hours to make up for lost time and money and she found herself enjoying her position. All she had to do was smile, make appointments, tidy her space, transfer calls, make calls or reservations, pass on memos, and just keep up with good customer service. It was a fairly simple job for a good paycheck.

Her dress code wasn't heavy either. Business or business-casual was more than accepted, as long as it looked appropriate. Though a popular shipwright had a problem with her when he saw her wearing a skirt or showing a little cleavage and lectured her on the importance of covering up; but he was a nice man who had begun to grow on her like an annoying uncle.

Galley-La was a huge corporate building that consisted of over forty floors and was nicely air-conditioned. Upon entering the building was a large rectangular desk that stood in front of a portion of a wall. It was made of smooth, maple wood with a darker tint of lacquer. It was a little large for Nami's preference but she didn't mind the extra space. On either sides of the desk were large, white marble staircases that led up to a few vending machines and the main secretarial unit, though there were smaller stations amongst each floor.

Behind the desk, where Nami sat, were two, top of the line computers in which the monitors moved and glided with ease for her to view. It's sleek, shiny, black appearance screamed expensive so Nami was always very careful with them. There were two big black phones with over ten holds and channel buttons in which she could talk via speaker, head set, or the old fashioned ear to bell. Yet another, high quality set of equipment she had to be careful with. But other than a few other items you would see at any normal desk, it was relatively neat and empty.

As lunch time had approached, Nami could feel a hunger pang pull on her stomach. That morning had been relatively busy with incoming investors and returning shipwrights that she barely made it out alive. It was always after lunch that things had settled down; though most days seemed to have been calm before and after lunch.

She glanced at her watch and sighed. Eleven twenty five. Because of her summer semester, she had gotten to used to eating around eleven thirty that she grew hungry exactly at eleven. She had thought about calling Sanji but not only has she never spoken with him on the phone before, but she didn't want to bother him, especially since he was at work.

So she sat there, with her feet propped up onto the other rolling chair. A growl escaped her stomach and she sighed again. Today of all days, she just had to forget to bring lunch. She pulled out a bag of chocolate covered pretzels she hid in her lower desk drawer for emergencies such as this and popped a pretzel into her mouth. Today was going to be a long day if she only had these to tide her stomach over. Just as she popped another pretzel into her mouth, a woman had cleared her throat.

"Ahem.."

Nami flinched as she turned to see it was the head of the secretarial department who also happened to be the CEO's personal secretary. She was a slim, beautiful woman with long blond hair, blue eyes, and glasses that framed her face nicely. Nami had made a few acquaintances with the secretaries but found herself very close to this one in particular. She was very serious with her work and had a hot temper, but once her work mode was off, she was a pleasant person to be around, although she was sometimes too conceited. But, she was pleasant and intelligent none the less.

"Please, don't scare me like that Kalifa." Nami said as she popped another pretzel into her mouth.

"May I sit with you?"

"Only if I can have that fruit cup you've got." Nami said, as she removed her feet from the chair and patted it lightly.

They spoke about the latest books and navigational systems and Nami was really into the conversation. She really did like talking to Kalifa. She loved Robin but there were some topics she couldn't talk to her about like she could with Kalifa.

"Kalifa, I need a favor."

"Sure what is it?"

"I can't leave my station unless someone else is here. Can you stay here while I get drink from the machine?"

"How about you stay and I buy it? My treat."

"Well that's awfully nice of you. You're not going to write it off as sexual harassment are you?"

Kalifa was known throughout the company as a diligent, and impressive woman, but she had this problem for calling things 'sexual harassment' in the most inappropriate situations. Nami experienced it her first day when she asked where the restrooms were.

"You have my word."

"Thank you." Nami sighed. She really couldn't hadn't another 'sexual harassment' file.

As Kalifa disappeared to get their drinks, Sanji had walked through the front doors, with a intricately wrapped container in his hands. Nami didn't notice him as she popped two more pretzels into her mouth and wrote a few memos down.

"Excuse me miss, but my heart stopped when I set my eyes upon you. Where can I find the nearest hospital?"

"What?"

Who was this guy? It's not like shipwrights didn't pass a compliment her way, but it had a familiar feel to it. Nami looked up to see a smiling Sanji and stood up, slapping his arm playfully.

Sanji was wearing a black suit with a maroon button up shirt underneath. His tie was slightly loose and his hair a was a little ruffled. He looked gorgeous. Was it even possible for a man to look gorgeous?

"I've never seen that look before."

"I was still at work when I thought I'd drop by. I should have changed but-"

"No." she quickly said. "You look, rather dashing in it. So um, what made you decide to stop by?" she asked with a blush.

Sanji placed the carefully wrapped container in front of her and eagerly spoke, "My Nami senses were tingling."

"You're so lame." she giggled. "But, thank you. Are you on lunch break or something?"

"We're closed for lunch today because someone made a mistake with the stock orders. So we won't be opening until dinner time."

"Well today is my lucky day then." She said as she leaned over her desk to give him a light kiss on the lips.

"Did you just finish eating?" He asked as his attention motioned to the Styrofoam lunch plate next to her.

"No that's my co-worker's. She just left to get me a drink since I can't leave."

"I thought you were the only receptionist?"

"I am. She's from the secretarial department. She just happened to be on her break and-"

"Oh my, who do we have here?" Spoke Kalifa, as she made her way back to Nami.

She had placed two bottles of juice down and looked towards Sanji with a knowing look. Sanji's face paled slightly as he saw her but he quickly bounced back; thankful Nami didn't see his face. If she did, he could only imagine how sour things would have turned out.

"Ah Kalifa, this is my boyfriend. He was just dropping off some lunch for me."

Kalifa had a calm expression but she held a sly smile. Nami watched as Kalifa's eyes begun to size him up and with a haughty tone she spoke.

"So _this_ is the boyfriend I've heard about. Hmm... Interesting…"

Nami didn't like Kalifa's tone at all. Did she think she had the better man? Sure she was married to Iceburg, who was kind, funny, and handsome, but if he didn't have any money would she still have that same attitude?

"Yes, this is-"

"We've already met." Sanji butted in quickly.

"Really? Well, then I guess I don't have to introduce you guys then."

There was an odd atmosphere that had been building between them and it was quiet. It felt like one of those cowboy stare-downs. If the opponent looked away, even the slightest, then it was all over. Nami really didn't like the feeling and spoke up.

"So, how do you two know each other?" she asked

Kalifa looked towards Nami and held a smile with that business-like manner she often used and spoke. "Ah, we are just acquaintances. I have eaten at his restaurant a few times in the past for business meetings. Isn't that right?"

"Yea. Though she called me a sexual harasser each time I greeted her." Sanji grumbled.

First the atmosphere, now the conversation. Nami didn't like the feel of the conversation. Why did it feel like a lie? Was it the heavy tension that made it feel that way? If Kalifa pulled the 'sexual harassment' line on Sanji then there was absolutely nothing to worry about…right?

"I see." Nami laughed. "She calls me that when I compliment her outfits so I don't say anything anymore."

"It's just a phrase that's hard to shake." Kalifa replied, pushing up her glasses. She looked at her watch and spoke again. "Well, my lunch break is over. Enjoy your lunch Miss Nami."

Kalifa gathered her things and turned her attention towards Sanji once more. Again it felt like another stare-down until she muttered under her breath, "Small world…" and begun to walk away.

Sanji immediately turned his attention to Nami to try and change the atmosphere. There was no way he was going to let things turn sour.

"So Nami, I've packed you something really delicious today."

Hearing Sanji speak brought her attention back to him and watched as he unwrapped the container.

"May I offer you a chicken and roasted vegetable tortilla wrap? It is seasoned with the best spices and filled with our special tangy sauce. It's quite perfect for a day such as this and a fun finger-food lunch. I have already taken the liberty of cutting them into bite size portions to prevent it from dripping onto your outfit - which I do say is quite ravishing."

Nami placed a hand on his cheek and smiled. "Care to join me my good sir?"

"I don't want to get you in trouble if I'm not supposed to be here."

"It's fine. I'm on lunch. There's nothing to steal in my section anyways. Besides, that seat next to mine looks a little lonely, don't you think?"

Sanji had made his way behind the desk and sat next to Nami. She popped a few pieces of her lunch into her mouth but she felt weird. Sanji was just watching. It was different when he had his own food and looked at her. But he was just staring.

"Do you want some? Its delicious."

"No I'm fine. I ate already." he said with a smile. He supported his face with his hand that leaned onto the desk and continued to watch her.

"Sanji, I can't eat with you staring. It's weird. It feels like you're saying, 'Yeah, eat that chicken wrap good'."

Sanji couldn't help but laugh at her statement. "Nami you're so weird." he laughed

"No _you're_ weird. Either have some or look somewhere else." she pouted.

"Ok, ok I won't look at your pretty face while you eat. I'll just admire your hair."

"That's even weirder. Here. Eat." she said as she poked a bite size portion with her fork and moved it close to his lips.

Sanji only looked at it and shook his head. "I ate already."

"Well I had a fruit cup before you came and a bunch of pretzels so I'm getting full. Help me finish it."

"We can just wrap it back up and-"

"Or…" She cut him of. She moved in close to his ear and whispered with a lustful voice, "you can help me finish it."

Nami slowly licked the outer part of his ear and it was enough for him to open his mouth in shock. Did she just do that at work? Nami took the opportunity to pop a piece of her lunch into his mouth and sat back down.

"You're evil." he said as he chewed at the contents in his mouth.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. You're helping me eat my lunch." she smiled innocently.

If Nami was willing to go that far at work then Sanji didn't want to be the reason she got in trouble. Especially since she seemed to really like her job. So Sanji did what any boyfriend would do in this situation, he behaved like a good boy and listened.

"So, your co-worker… are you guys close or anything?" he asked as he finished chewing another piece of needed to evaluate the state of their relationship in case anything were to arise.

"I wouldn't say we're close. She's pleasant to be around. We have common interests and she's good company. I suppose I can't call her a friend since I still don't know her all that well...plus she's my superior. So I think things are fine the way they are. Why?"

"No reason. I'm just glad your being nice to the other kids." he grinned.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she said as she pinched his cheek playfully.

"Ok, ok, I give." he chuckled

"You give up too fast." she pouted.

"Need I remind you, we're in public, your work to be specific. You're the first person everyone sees, and its not professional to flirt and play, even if its on lunch."

"Sleep over tonight."

"What? Did you even hear a word I just said?"

"I did. So I'm making you leave soon. But, I haven't gotten my daily Sanji dosage. So sleep over tonight."

"The very first sleep over. That's one small step for man, one giant step for Sanji." he spoke with an announcer tone.

"You slept over before."

"What? When?"

"That time…after the bar…"

"Ok, ok, correction. The very first sleep over as a couple."

"What time do you get off?"

"Nine. Is that too late?"

"No. You're off right now right? So go and get your things and drop it off at my place."

Nami had begun to dig around her purse and pulled out her lanyard with a set of keys that dangled at the end.

"Bring them back when you're done." she said as she handed the keys over.

* * *

Sanji made his way up the steps to apartment and knocked. The lights were on but there was no response.

'_Did she fall asleep already?'_

Sanji pressed on the doorbell a few times but still nothing. Did he need to sneak by her window and knock? yea that's not suspicious. The last thing he wants is a neighbor calling the police on him. He knocked again and still nothing. Sanji jiggled the door handle and his jaw dropped.

"She didn't lock the door… how careless can this girl be?" he mumbled.

As he stepped inside and closed the door behind him he heard Nami shriek in pain from her room. On instinct, Sanji ran, pushing through her door and into her bathroom.

"NAMI!" he shouted.

"WHAT?" she shouted back.

Nami's heart was pounding from Sanji's sudden burst but she quickly calmed down as she stared at the panting man in the doorway, confused. The sound of rock music had filled the restroom as Nami sat upon the counter of her sink. She pressed a button on her laptop to turn off her music and looked at Sanji.

"Are you ok? I heard you scream. Your door was unlocked and I thought-" He spoke in worried manner.

"Oh really? Sorry, I worried you. Can you lock the front door?" she said with a red face.

Nami brought a towel to cover her leg which Sanji eyed suspiciously.

"Are you ok?" he asked again, glancing back up to her face.

"Yea I'm fine. Hurry up and lock the front door." she ordered.

Nami was hiding something and Sanji didn't like it, but he did as he was told. He ran to the front door and back into her room and noticed her bathroom door was closed again. He could hear a slight whimpering coming from inside and he grew more worried. Did she hurt herself?

"Nami, what are you hiding from me?" he asked as he opened the door slightly.

"It's nothing!" She said as she peaked from the small opening he made. "Just, relax…and uh…I'll be out in a minute…or hour…"

"Are you ok? Did you hurt yourself?"

"Don't worry about it."

She tried to close the door as quickly as she could but he stuck his foot between the door and its frame, pushing it open.

"What are you hiding?" he asked, with a relaxed, husky tone. If a tone of concern wasn't going to work then what about seduction?

Nami stood in plain view, letting the towel drape against her leg as she tried to be nonchalant about it.

"Nothing. See?"

"What's behind the towel?" he whispered huskily into her ear.

"It's… nothing…"

Sanji kissed her neck softly and guided her to the bathroom counter. This was easier than he thought. He pinned her against the counter and lifted her up so that she was sitting. She still held onto the towel but felt that it was becoming difficult to hold on. When Sanji was like this, it was hard to refuse him and she was being swept away.

"_Nami…_" he exhaled against her ear.

He nibbled onto her ear lobe lightly and gingerly caressed her thighs with his warm hands. The moment she dropped the towel to raise her arms around his neck, he snatched her leg and examined it before she could hide it again.

As he examined it, he noticed three thin layers of cloth that started from her shins to her ankles all around her leg.

"Nami, what's that?" he asked as he pointed curiously at them.

He was about to pull on one when she shrieked. "Don't touch it!"

"Why? Are you hiding an injury?"

"N-no…I um…I'm tired of shaving because I always get razor bumps and I ran out of Nair…so I tried using a waxing kit I got for free…."

Sanji looked at her and blinked in surprise. He looked back down and started laughing. He's seen women wax their legs before but this was obviously something new on the market. He hadn't recognized the strips of cloth and it looked more like she was tending to gashes.

"Shut up! Its not funny! It hurts…"

"Can't you wash it off?"

"No. It's one of the newest products from Galdino's skin collection 'Smooth, Silky, and Sexy'… I tried washing it off but nothing works… You just have to grit your teeth and pull. I finished my left side but, I started to chicken out when I made it to this side…I'm almost done though..."

This was going to be the highlight of the evening for sure. He kissed Nami on her cheek and chuckled. Just how silly was she going to be?

"Do you need assistance?" he smiled

"N-no! As if I'd let you see my leg stubble!"

"Well how are you going to get it off? You're obviously scared to pull it off yourself and you can't leave this on your leg forever. Besides who cares if I see it?"

"I do! It's taboo for boyfriends to see it! If we've been a couple for a long time then it doesn't matter but we're still in the romance phase… I can't show you something like that because its not romantic."

"It could be." he suggested with a playful smile.

"Sanji, that's gross. Leg hair removal being romantic?"

"Not the actual hair Nami…" Sanji glanced back down thought for a moment before speaking. "Do you trust me?"

"Wh-why what are you-"

Sanji took a firm hold onto the cloth and pulled it swiftly. Nami shrieked and slapped him hard.

"Oi! That fucking hurt you ass!" she had tears forming at the corners of her eyes but Sanji paid no mind to her slap or her insult.

He began to gingerly glide his lips over the area he had just uncovered, kissing at the newly sensitive skin. He slid a hand up her thigh to find her hand, and began to intertwine his fingers with hers.

"See? Kinda romantic isn't it?" He spoke through his kisses.

Sanji really was a pleasing man, even if he didn't have sex with her. He didn't need to. Just his kisses, his touches, and his demeanor was enough to melt Nami. Sanji then began to kiss her kneecap as he pulled on another strip. Her fingers had dug into his the back of his hand as she let out a slight whimper.

"Sanji you're too cruel…"

Sanji only kept his eyes closed and smiled as he kissed down the next line of sensitive skin and made his way back up.

Just as he was about to pull onto the last one Nami used her free hand to stop him. Sanji looked up with half lidded eyes that sent chills down her spine. His expression was soft and stoic, but his eyes were full of love and lust. Nami wanted to stop him but that look in his eyes made her freeze in her tracks. He simply began kissing the top of her free hand and rose slowly as he trailed his kisses up her arm. When he finally made contact with her neck he was about to pull again when she stuttered.

"A-at least c-count to three."

Sanji exhaled against the crook of her neck and spoke.

"Ok... One." He kissed her jaw line.  
"Two." He kissed her cheek.  
"Three." He engaged a deep kiss just as she opened her mouth to yelp.

The stinging, raw feeling on her leg bothered her slightly, but the kiss was so hot and mesmerizing that she couldn't pay anymore attention to her pain. When Sanji finally broke their kiss his sexy, stoic expression turned into a light and cheerful one in the blink of an eye.

"That was fun." he grinned

Nami glared at him and slapped his arm just as hard as the first time. "It was not!"

"Ah, but I solved your predicament, did I not?"

She was about to hop off of the counter when Sanji scooped her into his arms and made his way to her bed.

"Hey…don't drop me."

"I would never do such a thing."

He gently placed her onto her bed and began digging through his duffel bag that he had brought earlier that day.

"Did you mind if I use your shower?"

"No, by all means…"

Just as Sanji grabbed his clothes and had begun to walk away Nami spoke.

"Can I join you?"

"You already showered." he said flatly.

"Did not."

"That's not what your damp hair tells me."

"Well I can always shower again."

"Oh? Under what reason?"

"Cause I feel like it."

"Nice try."

Sanji turned his back and made his way towards her bathroom door again when Nami quickly pulled her top off and ran to Sanji.

"Because I'm a _dirty_ girl." Nami said, with a playful and lusty voice.

Sanji turned around laughing but stopped when Nami pressed herself to his chest. Sanji had to gulp back a hunger that was building and managed to kiss her forehead gently. Nami was trying to test the waters of going further and Sanji had to be careful.

"Next time ok?"

* * *

A few moments later Sanji exited from her shower with a loose, grey t-shirt and blue plaid patterned, baggy, pajama pants. A complete opposite to what she was wearing. Her pink tank top hugged every bit of her but it was soft and comfortable, and her dark grey shorts were a little too high.

Sanji had been drying his hair with a towel as she spoke.

"That's the complete opposite of what I thought you'd wear. Well the shirt at least."

"Is it not to your liking?"

"A little. Your normal clothes are so form fitting and hold you in all the right places. I was hoping to see that."

"You mean you want me to show off my body?"

"Yup."

"Sorry to disappoint you my dear princess but you can't handle this."

"What are you trying to say?" she giggled

"I'm too sexy. You might pass out." he joked

"You're such a dork you know that?"

"What? Then what does that make you since you're my girlfriend?"

"Someone who happens to like dorks. Now lose the shirt."

"What?"

"Lose the shirt. If it gets too cold I'll turn down the air conditioner."

"Somehow I feel like you only like my body and not me." he sighed as he placed his towel back into the bathroom.

"Sanji I didn't mean it like that."

"I'm joking Nami."

Sanji made his way out of her bathroom and approached the bed lifting his shirt eagerly.

"Stop. Do it again. Slowly."

Sanji chuckled a bit and began to slowly lift his shirt for her. Nami stared hungrily at him as his shirt revealed the first set of abs, then the second next, then the third, and before she realized it, he was shirtless. She wanted to pounce on him like a hungry mountain lion would with a forest rabbit, but she knew that wasn't going to happen.

"Com here." she said, while patting the spot next to her.

Sanji glided over to his designated spot and sat cross legged in front of her. Nami admired his body and lifted her hands - slowly trailing her finger tips from the lowest part of Sanji's abs up to his shoulders. She then moved them across his neck, past his jaw line, and finally up to his lips. As she leaned in to kiss him she stopped just before making contact and slid her hands up his face, pulling his hair away from his half covered face.

Sanji froze in his spot. He was clearly embarrassed that she was looking at his whole face. He felt insecure and naked under her gaze without the help of his hair. He tried to lean back but she leaned in more.

Sanji didn't mind as much that it was Nami looking at him, but he still averted his gaze from hers. He never liked his eyebrows and having her see his whole face meant seeing both of the two curling monstrosities. His right eyebrow formed a spiral at the outer end, while his left eyebrow forms a spiral at the inner end. This meant that his face is asymmetrical with the position of his eyebrow spirals, but he never liked it. It wasn't normal and he felt that the only thing he could do was hide one side.

"I finally get to have a good look at such a handsome face." she said, with a soft and gleeful expression.

"My eye brows aren't normal so what do you mean by handsome?"

"What don't you understand?"

"_They're_ different…" he mumbled in reference to his brows.

"I like different. Besides, haven't you noticed he people we hang out with? They're not exactly normal. If anything, they're really different. Probably not from this world." She giggled.

She used her thumbs and trailed his eyebrows, starting from the inside and made her way out. Sanji was completely aware of the weird pattern each thumb were moved in and it made him more self-conscious. Did she really like touching his odd eyebrows or was she just being a nice girlfriend? As uncomfortable as it felt, he still liked that it was Nami who was taking a look. It was a new experience and it felt so raw. He supposed that if it had to be anyone, then it would be her.

"Sanji, from now on, don't hide your face from me. If we're alone like this, I won't allow you to hide your face from me."

"But I look so much cooler with one side covered." he whined.

"Yes, but I prefer seeing your whole face. You're very handsome and it gives me a sense of pride that I'm the only one who can see your face. Besides, I feel like you're hiding from me with your normal hairstyle. So from now on, when we're alone like this, I want to see is your face."

She leaned in and barely kissed his lips when she got up and headed to her bathroom. Sanji's hair fell back onto his face but it held a slight bump at the base of his hair where Nami's hands held it. She brought her laptop out from her bathroom and sighed as she placed it onto her desk.

"I forgot to take this out before you showered. I hope its ok…" she mumbled.

Sanji still didn't say anything as Nami huffed around and plopped back onto the bed. She lifted his hair again and smiled as a blush crept across her face. Did she really like his face that much? A moment ago she was so confident and straightforward about it but now she was getting shy? It didn't make much sense. She suddenly pulled out a few bobby pins and began to pin his hair back.

"There. Now I don't have to work so hard to see that handsome face of yours. Just like this Sanji. I want you to pin back your hair."

The feeling was all too weird for him but he was appreciating his view of Nami. He had always been able to clearly see her with both eyes but something about this situation made her seem even more, real, more beautiful to be exact. He brought a hand to her face and caressed her cheek lightly as she smiled even more. There weren't enough words to describe how much he really felt so he only touched her face.

"Sanji…"

"Hmmm?"

"Let's do it."

"Nami I don't have anything we could use for-"

"Not tonight…but soon…"

"Are you really sure about that?"

Nami looked into his eyes and spoke timidly.

"I'm sure... I don't think I can handle anymore 'almost there' moments."

Sanji laughed a little but he knew what she meant. Falling asleep before the climax and getting caught before it really weren't healthy. It was like torturing the body of what it really wanted and leaving it for dead. But the way she said it clearly showed her innocence.

"Are you absolutely sure?"

Nami pouted poked at his chest. "Yes I'm absolutely sure. Twice I was 'almost there' and was left feeling like a freaking horny cat. After being touched like that, it's a little too unsatisfying by yourself."

Sanji looked at Nami with a surprised expression. She was so blunt about it. Sanji agreed that it wasn't enough by yourself but it did get the job done. Hearing her statement made him slightly curious about how she went about satisfying herself but left it at that. He knew that a flood of embarrassment was going to wash over her soon so he tried to ease the subject a little more.

"And when or where would you like this to occur?"

"What? You need to plan a day or place for it? Is popping the cherry really that big of an event?"

"Popping the cherry...?"

Sanji felt a roar of laughter rumble in his chest but held it in. Just where did she hear that term from?

"Also, what am I supposed to do? Just lay there and make you do all of the work? Should I buy Kama Sutra books for assistance? Am I supposed to use whip cream or something?"

Nami questions seemed endless and was being serious, but this was just too funny for Sanji to listen to. His innocent girlfriend was talking too bluntly and crudely about her 'first time'. Sanji laughed and it finally hit Nami how embarrassing her words were. He laid down and pulled her hands to join him and hugged her slightly.

"Nami, seriously you're too cute. But you need to listen carefully. Its a big deal. Your attachment grows a lot more to the person you give it to. Sure you can plan for it but it really comes down to your feelings, the timing, and the atmosphere. It could be a beautiful moment or it could be a self destructive one. So think about it carefully. I already said that I'd help you with your sexual frustrations while we waited on that specific moment."

"I already did think about it carefully. Besides how much longer can you hold out?"

"Is that why you're bringing it up? Nami don't worry about me. Worry about yourself and your feelings."

"I am worrying about myself. You just happen to pop into the picture every time I think about it. I honestly can't see myself with anyone else and I like to think we're in this relationship together for the long run…but if it doesn't work out later in the future I know won't have any hard feelings about it because I felt I made a good decision. So what do you say?"

Sanji was stunned a little. He had to start giving her more credit for the way she said things to him. He still had his reservations about her decision but finally gave in.

"You don't need to buy any books or watch any movies. Those are things you do to change it up later along the way. Your first time is going to be awkward and uncomfortable so no whipped cream. Are you a tampon user?"

"W-what?" she asked in shock. What did her method of menstrual control have to do with it?

"It's actually a serious question. Your answer decides how much prep work I need."

Nami didn't answer that question. She couldn't believe Sanji even asked a question like that so boldly. Instead she pinched the skin under his bicep and he got the picture of how uncalled for that question really was.

"Alright, then give me a copy of your menstrual cycle-OW!"

Another pinch, this time her nails dug in further. "Why do you need something like that!"

"Because I'd like to limit my chances of little Sanji's and Nami's running around. Are you on birth control?"

"No."

"Then give me your cycle later… um…place?"

Place? Nami hadn't thought about it before. She figured her place would have been fine but she had a roommate. Even if she asked Robin not to be at the apartment the entire time it still would feel awkward wouldn't it? She definitely wanted to be alone with Sanji with no possibilities of interruptions or guests.

"How about…yours?"

"Yea that's…wait…why my place?"

"I can't? I'm comfortable here but Robin lives here too and the walls aren't exactly sound proof."

"You can't ask her to leave for the day or sleep over at Zoro's?"

"I can't. That's a little too selfish isn't it? Motels are nasty and hotels are just as bad. Shouldn't it be in a memorable place since it's a big deal? I was thinking of a place that would be comfortable and we could be completely alone. Maybe using your place is too selfish of me isn't it?"

Nami looked at Sanji as he bit his lower lip and thought hard. He was definitely stuck. He never did get a chance to tell her or even show her his place. What could he say? 'Oh hey Nami guess what, I've been lying to your face because I wanted to make sure you weren't with me for my money. But, now that I know you're not, come look the place where I'll take your virginity'? Sanji inwardly groaned. There was no escape and it was better to face the music sooner or later. She'll be mad for now but later she'll forgive him…right?

"Nami, I need to be honest with you about something…"

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

**_AUTHOR GREETING/MESSAGE!_**

**_1. For those of you that do not know, is in fact Mr. 3 from Baroque Works. His devil fruit power is the Doru Doru no Mi. Here is his info if you're curious about him. wiki/Doru_Doru_no_Mi  
_**

**2. I hope I did ok with this chapter. You see, I have no inspiration or ideas flowing when I'm at home. As much as I would love to write this in a coffee shop (I don't mind anyone reading while I write), I can't. My car has finally kicked the bucket and I'm sharing with my mommy (yes at 20 I still call her mommy). Also, my dad (super strict asian) doesn't like me leaving the house unless I'm with my brother or my friends he knows well. Since I'm a nursing student, my academic schedule is completely different from my friends who study business and psychology so they're all busy with school while I am on break. So, I can't have friends take me places. My older brother is a brat so he can't take me anywhere either. So I'm stuck, in my house, with no inspiration, trying my best with this story. *worlds saddest violin plays***

Anyways to make a long story short, I wrote this chapter 7 different ways and had to narrow down which one I liked the most.

I would like to give a shout out to all of you who read and support and review my fanfiction. But I would especially like to give a shout out to Al1ce-chan . Thank you so much, and you've been a great sport and supporter. I'll be giving a shout out to my other supporters and reviewers in the upcoming chapters so please wait patiently.

I have a lot of other fanfiction projects that I want to start but I can't decide which one I want. You all should know that I update if not every day, then every 3-4 days. I'll try to keep my updates at a constant pace but once it hits August 15, 2012, my updates most likely will be every weekend, since school starts back up again. But like I said, check my stories out everyday or just in case because you never know when I might add a new chapter. Or a string of new chapters *laughs evilly*.

**Well, that is all for today. Have a great day, morning, evening, where ever you are and thanks again!  
**

**-Rusala  
**


	19. Of firsts and something

"…what?" Nami looked at Sanji in disbelief.

"I'm really sorry Nami."

Nami couldn't believe what she was hearing, but she decided to press it further.

"Let me take a wild guess and say, you thought I'd stick with you because you had money." she accused.

Bingo. Sanji's furrowed brows said it all. Nami couldn't have been more right and it hurt. He couldn't say anything to her.

They had been sitting across one another on her bed and things were definitely turning sour. Sanji really didn't like the look on her face. It said she didn't know what to say. It said, the man that told her he loved her had been lying to her because he feared her future reasons for their relationship. Nami had never looked this heartbroken or upset. She tried to open her mouth to say something but couldn't. Instead she slapped his face. It wasn't really hard but it still left a sting and a mark on his cheek. He knew she was mad but why didn't she add more force into it? Was there a piece of her that was nice enough not to beat him senseless?

"Sanji…"

"…"

Suddenly Nami's expression had changed into a cheerful expression which, quite frankly, scared the shit out of him. What was going through her mind?

"That's payback for my legs." she said as she laid back onto her bed.

Sanji sat there with a stupefied expression on his face. What just happened? Payback for her legs? Weren't they talking about him lying to her just a moment ago? What was with her hurt expression before? Nami could clearly tell how lost he was and spoke.

"Sanji I'm not stupid. I figured it out during lunch today and your hesitancy towards sex at your place made the truth all the more clear. Your biggest mistakes were the car the suit. I'm a little hurt but I'm ok."

"You knew…?"

"I was suspicious." She said in an exhausted tone.

"I'm sorry…"

"You were being too generous for a college student but I left it alone since I had feelings for you and wanted an excuse to stay by your side. Then you took me out for my birthday. Your car screamed new but I let it slide because it was probably just well kept. I couldn't judge anything since I know nothing about cars. But when I sat inside, I noticed the smell of your car. Most heavy smokers use a thick cherry smelling air freshener because it hides the cigarette smell very or nothing at all but it was too clean and crisp smelling of mint and raspberry. Also, a heavy smoker like you, who I haven't seen cut down yet, would have left over ashes or a stained cigarette smell in there. Even if you didn't smoke in the car, the smell that hangs on you would stick to your seats so there was no way your car was just 'well kept'. When you argued with me about my financial status and suggested we get married so that my problem would be solved, things began to click that maybe you did a bit better than a chef normally would. I thought, 'oh, maybe he's a head chef, good for him. He works hard'. But when you walked into my work today, things were absolutely clear. Fashion by Pappug can be quite affordable for any buyer but you were wearing a suit that was a part of his 'Criminal' fashion line. One of his most expensive 'blend-in' lines for the elite, made with high quality material in which they only produced one hundred and twenty identical suits from that line. Being an 'heir' definitely doesn't suit you since you prefer hard work over just having things handed to you so the only other option was that you owned the place."

"Hey…your deduction skills are insane... I'm seriously freaked out…"

Nami didn't look at him or pay his comment any mind. She really had no idea how she should be feeling at this point but there was something else she wanted to address. So she continued to speak in an exhausted tone.

"All things lead to money and that is definitely one of my strong points Sanji…. Now freak out some more because I know you and Kalifa slept together."

Sanji flinched slightly and that was more than enough to indicate Nami was right. She sighed and continued to speak.

"Lay down before you fall over in shock." she ordered.

Sanji did as he was told. He really was in shock. She figured everything out which not only impressed him, but scared him. This was the woman who forgot her own birthday and was really innocent when it came to their relationship. He didn't think she would find out this fast but this _was_ Nami after all.

Saji rolled to his left to look at Nami. He thought he was going to face a lot despair and pain but this was definitely not what he pictured. A cool headed Nami…but she didn't look at him. She only stared at her ceiling which told Sanji he wasn't particularly in the clear just yet.

"Atmospheres like that don't come from acquaintances. I thought something was off so I thought I'd just throw it out there for the hell of it. Turns out I was right. You should have just said, 'oh I used to sleep with her'."

Sanji's mind was racing. She thought she'd throw it out there for the hell of it? _'She only took a guess just now?'_ he thought.

Sanji cleared his throat and forced himself to speak.

"Nami that's not something you say to your girlfriend in front of your old sex buddy. She read the situation carefully and, for all of our sakes, played it off like it was nothing. Someone could have heard our conversation and passed it on. Kalifa may be married to Iceburg now, but that doesn't mean problems couldn't arise."

"That doesn't mean you should have tried to hide it from me."

Nami inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. From the side, Sanji could see her brows furrow slightly as she thought of her next set of words. She turned her head to her right and looked at Sanji for a brief moment and turned her attention back to her ceiling. Just what was going through her head?

To Nami, going through Sanji's emotions was almost as if it were an elaborate game of cat and mouse. Not that she enjoyed upsetting him but he was practically asking the cat to come and catch him, and he was doing a good job escaping, but not right now. She had him cornered and she wasn't going to let him get away.

"As long as you guys aren't still sex buddies behind my back, then I don't have an issue. Just don't hide shit from me. I'm not stupid. But I'm still hurt you lied to me. How could you think that I would stick around you for money?"

Sanji thought he was pathetic. He couldn't say anything to her. It was as if everything that made him a man disappeared and left him as an empty, lifeless husk. He had no way of defending himself because he brought this all upon himself. He could only listen to Nami and let her words carve and scar into him as a lesson that will forever be left on him.

"There's a three day weekend coming up in two weeks. Let's do it then."

"…Nami…"

"Quick question… and be completely honest. Have you brought any of your "sex friends" to your place?"

"Wh-What?"

Where was she going with this? Did she still have her eyes on his place?

"Answer the question." she snapped

"…No…"

Nami was being really pushy which had him a little concerned. Was she using her anger to keep her fueled as she spoke? Was she going to use this as a reason to sleep with him? Sanji didn't like the idea of Nami using anger or hate as a reason to go all the way with him but at this point he knew he wasn't in any position to decline.

"Good." She still didn't look at him but he could see the look of relief on her face that almost seemed triumphant. "That means I'll get the opportunity christen your apartment."

Nami finally turned to Sanji and something about the look in her eyes left an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach. She wore a soft expression and beautiful smile but her eyes completely threw him off. He had no idea what emotion was haunting them but it definitely didn't feel good. He wanted to ask her about it but couldn't. He was stuck, and was willing to do anything she asked to fix his predicament.

The rest of the evening had been filled with kisses, cuddles, and whispers of sweet nothings but something really didn't feel right about it to him. No one would be this fine after a conversation like that. And as much she made it seem like she was fine, it was still her eyes that said a lot more. This was the second time she made him feel so helpless and thought there was definitely a reserved spot for him in hell.

Just before falling asleep she made Sanji promise to show her where he lived this week and have another sleep over this weekend at his place. If they were going all the way she wanted to be as familiar with his place as she could.

* * *

Two days later...

Another busy morning had created a hungry Nami. This was unfortunately a repeat from Monday. She looked over her work calendar and groaned inwardly. Today was Wednesday and Sanji had yet to fulfill his promise. What was he waiting for? Everything had been put out into the open Monday night so he didn't need to lie or hide from her anymore.

Yesterday he had taken an extra break to pick her up from work and drop her home and today apparently was going to be the same. Did he really not want her over there? She'll admit she was being too assertive Monday night but did it really bother Sanji that much?

Nami felt her heart being eaten away by something. It was hard enough for her hearing the truth Monday night but she put on a great act of confidence. He lied to her, because he thought she would love his money instead. She was over the bar of pissed and hurt. It was bad enough she was insecure about herself with Sanji, but knowing his reasons made her feel worse about herself. It made her feel like less of woman and less of a loved one to him. Its obvious he meant no ill will about lying to her but she couldn't shake her hard feelings. Telling her the truth meant that he trusted her and had faith her completely now, but she couldn't bring herself to believe that. It felt like the only way she could really believe him was if she went all the way with him. If he hid the tiniest bit of doubt in her, like she felt he did, then her 'first time' would definitely be the proper payment for his trust in her love.

But then there was something else she couldn't shake. Kalifa. Sanji didn't verbally confirm the fact that he used to sleep with her, but his reaction was more than enough to indicate 'yes'. On Tuesday, the only thing Nami could do was keep a smile on her face and pretended to know nothing, as she and Kalifa had their usual conversations. What was it going to be like today? How should she act? What should she say? It was obvious that Kalifa kept a good appearance that said, 'I know nothing and have never slept with your boyfriend'. And yet again, it felt like her heart was being eaten away.

Just as her thoughts were about to grow even more depressing Kalifa had taken the liberty of sitting next to Nami and handed her a magazine.

'_When you think of the devil, it shall appear'_ Nami thought bitterly.

"This is the magazine I was telling you about yesterday." Kalifa said, as she began to drink her smoothie.

Nami glanced at the magazine, then up to Kalifa, and then back down to the magazine, muttering under her breath "Thanks". As Nami looked through the magazine she used her free hand to dig through her bottom desk drawer. She never left her gaze from the magazine as her fingers now, searched frantically for the bag of chocolate covered pretzels, but found herself loosing her patience and grunted as she looked down to find nothing in her drawer.

"Today is just getting better and better…" she muttered through her gritted teeth.

Nami hunched over and pressed her forehead against the cool, smooth wood of her desk and sighed. Kalifa only stared as she sipped on her smoothie a bit more before speaking.

"Let's go out after work. There's a coffee shop not too far away. My treat."

Nami lifted her head and turned to Kalifa suspiciously. Why was she suggesting they go out? Nami didn't like the idea of being alone with her. She was still brooding over her anger and insecurities and Kalifa's invitation only seemed to piss her off even more. But the magic words 'my treat' were a part of that invitation and Nami couldn't refuse her.

"Thank you." was all Nami could say to the older woman as she began to walk away.

A coffee date with Kalifa didn't sound appealing at all to Nami. They never did anything outside of work and this was definitely bad timing for her. If Kalifa had asked her on Monday or the week before, Nami would have been more than eager to join her, but her current feelings made her dislike the older woman all the more. How do you stay civil to the woman your boyfriend used to sleep with?

Nami reached into her bag and pulled out a daily planner where she had written Sanji's number and decided to give him a call. She didn't even want to call him. Just the thought of Sanji hurt her and pissed her off, but it didn't stop her fingers from gliding over the numbers on the phone.

***ring* *ring* *ring***

Just as Nami was about to hang up, she heard someone pick up on the other line.

"Hello?" said a husky, yet gruff voice.

Was this Sanji? His voice was smoother and a little lower than normal, but what was with the gruff after feeling behind it?

"Sorry, am I calling at a bad time?" she asked.

On Sanji's end he had no clue who was on the phone. Her voice was sweet and silky with a hesitant feeling behind it.

"I'm sorry but who is this?" he asked

"Ah, sorry. Sanji its me."

"Um."

"Nami."

"Oh! Nami! I didn't recognize your voice at all. It sounds much more silky. Are you calling from work?"

"Yea… um…don't pick me up today. I'm going somewhere after work. So…don't pick me up…"

Sanji didn't say anything for a moment. What was with that tone she used? It sounded like she was upset. Though he couldn't blame her for feeling upset. But was it because of work? Or was it him?

"Nami what's wrong?" he asked cautiously.

"Nothing…just don't come…I'm having coffee with Kalifa after work so I can walk home alone."

"I'll pick you up after you have coffee."

"I already said don't come…I have to go."

"Nami-"

Nami had already ended the call, leaving Sanji on the other end wondering what was going on.

* * *

Nami and Kalifa had been sitting in the quaint coffee shop with silence filling their table. Nami had picked at the muffin she ordered and sipped at her lemonade as she looked over to Kalifa. She really was a beautiful woman. Silkly blond hair, slim features, big breasts, the woman was the epitome of beautiful and it irritated Nami even more. She felt the need to compare herself to Kalifa and found herself losing.

Kalifa only sat there, sipping some tea, as she tried to think of a topic starter. Nami was in a foul mood and she could guess a few possibilities, though one seemed to point directly to her.

"Nami," she spoke, "What's on your mind?"

Nami looked to the older woman and inwardly scoffed at her attempt to be nice. Maybe she was being too ridiculous pointing her anger towards Kalifa but she couldn't help it. She was upset, hurt, jealous, and now overly insecure of herself.

"Can we talk….on a personal level?" Nami said, with a bitter tone.

Kalifa didn't like the sound of this. Did Sanji tell her? Did she find out on her own? It was obviously dangerous waters to get involved in personal matters with the current girlfriend of an ex-sex buddy. She didn't dislike Nami, in fact she thought of her as a good person with a lot of things in common with herself. But knowing the situation made her feel more cautious and on edge.

'_Just play along. There's no way Sanji would be stupid enough to tell her.' _Kalifa thought.

"What was it you want to talk about?" she said, in a curious tone.

Nami couldn't look her in the eyes so she kept her attention to Kalifa's forehead.

"I know."

"About?"

"You and Sanji."

"I see…" Kalifa's poker face had broken slightly as she began to purse her lips slightly. "In my defense, I'm married now and completely faithful to my husband if that's what your worried about."

"That's not it…I'm just stunned… maybe even curious…"

"Stunned? Curious? My dear you are upset. Anyone can see that."

"Sanji and I had talked about his flings before. I understand and have accepted that."

"Is that so? Then why are you upset? Do you feel intimidated by me?" Kalifa said as she begun to sip her coffee.

Nami eyed the woman curiously as she laced her fingers and rested her chin upon them. She didn't like Kalifa's tone but she was right. In a lot of ways she felt intimidated by Kalifa and her current state didn't make Nami feel any better.

"Well don't. You know Nami, no matter how sexually pleasing women were to him, no one could fill that void he carried around. To sum it up, no one was good enough for him since he already loved someone. Tell me something, you haven't had sex with him yet have you?"

"What's with sex being so damn important in conversations?"

"Answer the question." she sang.

"…no…" she muttered.

"Confirmation complete. I thought it was weird when you introduced him as your boyfriend. If you and Sanji had slept together then you definitely weren't his girlfriend. He never saw his sex friends in the daylight. Well, except me, but my situation was different. There was a slight co-dependence between us. Well its nice to see his search has ended. That face he always wore was so painful to look at, though I think it's what made him much more sexier. That stoic face, mysterious aura, his chivalry, and those endless pits of eyes."

Nami listened to the older woman carefully, trying to absorb what she meant. What did she mean by co-dependence? What was so damn different about her?

"You said he never saw his sex friends in the daylight…why were you the exception…?" she asked suspiciously.

"I wonder if I should say anything at all. You're a very level headed, charming, and smart young woman…and though you say you're curious but I know those eyes very well. You're hiding a very upset and insecure side and it's a little too nasty for your tastes."

Kalifa was right. Nami was insecure when it came to her relationship with Sanji, but also with herself. She was well aware of it but failed to truly accept it. Rather than using confidence in herself, she used her anger as a boost to keep talking.

"So what you mean to say that based on your evaluation of me, I can't handle what you're going to say? I'll decide how to handle it when I hear it."

Kalifa sighed in defeat. She knew Nami was determined regardless of the fact that she wasn't ready to hear it. There was no way of sugar coating the subject, so she just had to be as nice as possible about it.

"If you can't believe in yourself, then believe in Sanji, who believes in you. He loves you…so have confidence in that notion."

Nami didn't understand what Kalifa was saying. One second they're talking about whether or not she could handle any more information and then Kalifa starts talking about believing in Sanij.

"You're not making any sense. What do you-"

"To put it simply Nami, you're his first and only love, but I'm his first partner. If you can't believe in yourself to handle that much information then just believe in Sanji. It's as simple as that."

'_I'm his first partner…'_… Those words had hit Nami with the weight of a thousand elephants. It should have been obvious to her that Kalifa was Sanji's first. If you wouldn't see your _flings_ in the daylight, then why would you make an exception? Suddenly the word 'co-dependence' began to ring in her ears. Did Sanji have feelings for Kalifa? If he felt that dependent on their sexual exploits, enough to be seen with her in the day, didn't that mean he almost gave up on Nami at some point? And what about her current situation? He lied to her and felt like he couldn't trust her reasons for being with him. So much for believing in Sanji.

That feeling of her heart being eaten away was jealousy and insecurity at its finest. Nami finally made proper eye contact with Kalifa but said nothing. Kalifa gave her a genuine smile and spoke gently.

"Now those are some beautiful eyes. Nami, you should be boasting to me. To have a man love you for so long is a wonderful thing."

Nami still didn't say anything to Kalifa. She only stared at her. How could she have confidence in Sanji when he didn't have confidence in her? She did somehow feel a little better talking to Kalifa but she still felt trapped in her whirlwind of jealously, insecurity, and dismay. It felt as if she was drowning in the black waters she willingly entered.

Kalifa had excused herself to the restroom while Nami sat there thinking. Was she being too ridiculous? No. She had every right to be mad and hurt. Even though Sanji trusted her enough to tell her the truth that didn't make her feel any better. She had to wonder if he really meant it every time he said 'I love you'. If that didn't lower her self esteem then what would?

'_Your attachment grows a lot more to the person you give it to.' _… Those words Sanji said had began to ring in her ears again. She knew she shouldn't have been comparing herself to Kalifa but Sanji had a co-dependence with her. An attachment to be precise. Did he feel nothing for her or did he feel something for her?

Her thoughts were going nowhere due to the infinite loop she had been following. She just couldn't think properly. She hadn't realized that Kalifa had been gone for a while until she felt a soft nudge against her shoulder.

"I don't know if you're trying to make me feel better or not Kalifa but-" she said as she turned her attention towards the nudge to see Sanji with a stoic expression. Sanji had been wearing black slacks, a jonquil yellow colored button up shirt, and a matching black vest that held his body very nicely.

Nami turned her attention away from him and sipped her drink as Sanji pulled a seat next to her.

"Hey…" he said, in a calm yet cautious tone.

"I never told you I was going to be here. Are you stalking me?" she spoke bitterly.

"Kalifa called me…"

Kalifa? Nami's eye brows furrowed so deep you would think she ate something sour. She turned to Sanji with an outraged expression but said nothing. How did Kalifa have his number? Did he still talk to her? All of Nami's earlier questions and speculations had begun to make her mood even worse than it already was and she was more than ready to shout at the top of her lungs.

"I'm leaving." she spoke abruptly, and stood causing the chair to screech a little.

"I'll take you home."

"I don't want to look at you right now." she spat.

This is what Sanji didn't feel right about. She had been holding in just how upset she really was Monday night and she let it fester too much.

"Then don't look at me when I take you home." he spoke with low, assertive tone.

"If its my place then I'm fine going on my own." she barked with a slightly louder tone.

She began to walk away when Sanji walked by her side and grabbed her wrist, guiding them to his car. Nami tried pulling away but his grip never released and she began to grow even more upset.

"I said I'm fine going home alone. Just leave!"

"We're not going to your place." he snipped.

Nami was a shocked that he was getting a little upset with her. Why the hell should he be getting upset? He lied to her. He didn't trust her. He still had Kalifa's number. If anyone should have been allowed to be mad it was Nami.

Sanji opened the passenger's seat and guided her in, locking the doors with the press of a button. Each time she tried to unlock the door he locked it again as he finally slid into the drivers seat. Yet again it was the same thing. She tried to unlock the door but he kept his hand on the side panel of his door, only this time, pressing the child-lock to all the doors in the car. She was trapped in his car now and she was pissed. She folded her arms and looked out of the window, pissed that he had the nerve to keep her hostage.

About ten minutes into the car ride she noticed he made a left turn instead of the normal right that led to her street. She was still furious but she wanted to know where Sanji was taking her.

"Where are we going?" she demanded.

She still didn't look at him as he continued to drive but he constantly glanced her way. He could only exhale as a response and keep driving. He wasn't sure about this decision but it was much better than her apartment. She had a nice apartment but the walls practically had ears if you were loud. The neighbors upstairs had complained about the argument they had before and the party so he needed a place that was more quiet. And what place could be better than his lifeless place? His walls were much more thick and maintained a lot more privacy. No one would complain about the argument that was soon to come.

As Sanji pulled into an underground parking lot Nami had begun to worry just exactly where they were. Sanji still didn't answer her when she asked about their location. He had taken her by the hand and pulled her into an elevator which consisted fourteen floors. When she notice Sanji hit the number fourteen she looked up at him in suspicion. It was the last number the elevator had offered and Nami's anger started to rise again. He couldn't take her to his place but a hotel?

'_He really doesn't trust me after all…'_ she thought.

When they finally reached the fourteenth floor, Nami observed her area carefully. The doors were separated very generously with a miniature gate in front. It resembled a house with little fences out front. Nami had begun to wonder if these rooms were pent house suites or something of the like. She knew Sanji had money but she didn't think he'd rent a suite just for an argument. Then it dawned on her, did he stay at a hotel? Was that why he mentioned it didn't feel like a home?

Sanji had stopped to open the door they stopped in front of and led her inside. It was dark but there was a source of moonlight shining in from giant panel windows. It was ridiculously spacious inside. To her right was an open kitchen filled with new, stainless steel appliances and an open door to the end that held a stair case. Straight ahead were lounging couches and a coffee table in the center with two different types of dinner tables in the back by the windows. To her right were three doors, a dark open space, and a modern looking open staircase that led to a second floor. Just what kind of hotel suite was the?

Sanji had led her in further when she finally remembered the was pissed and yanked her hand way.

"Don't touch me! Why are we here! What is this place!" she snapped

"You're mad." Sanji stated. He wasn't surprised but kept a level-headed tone as he spoke.

"Damn straight I'm mad, you asshole!"

"Why didn't you get upset with me the moment I told you? You should have just yelled at me right then and there."

"What the fuck could I have said? I was shocked but I didn't want to look like a bad girlfriend! I'm hurt! I'm upset! You had no trust in me at all! You thought I was going to stick with you for money! Did I ever once, willingly or eagerly accept your money? No! You weren't honest with me from the start! How the hell am I supposed to trust you when you didn't trust me? Did you even mean it when you said you loved me? If you did you wouldn't have lied about it this whole time! If you really loved someone you would trust them enough to be with you for love! You made me feel like I wasn't loved!"

"Nami, I do love you. I shouldn't have lied to you but I wanted to make sure we were in this for the long run before I said anything."

Nami began to cry. She was so upset and frustrated with emotions and she couldn't think. Instead she just yelled more words to him.

"Don't you dare start with that! And another thing! Why do you even have _her_ phone number in the first place? Why does _she_ have yours? Are you still seeing each other behind my back? You know what, don't even answer that! It's clear you have an attachment considering she was your first! You said it yourself Sanji, 'Your attachment grows a lot more to the person you give it to.'! I heard it from her clear as day! You never saw your sex friends in the daylight except for her! If you were attached to her because of your first time, and saw her in the daylight, then didn't that mean you almost gave up on me?"

"Nami there were reasons why I had to see her in the daylight. I did grow dependent on the sex but only because it was abundant and convenient. That was the only attachment I had. I never considered giving up on you once."

Her throat held a burning sensation and began to close a little from her crying. It felt like she was choking on her own emotions. Instead of yelling more, she spoke with heartbreak.

"How am I supposed to believe that Sanji? Do you know how low my self esteem is right now because you didn't tell me the truth? You feared that I was going to stick with you for money. Do you have any idea how that makes me feel? It makes me feel like less of a woman and more of a monster. It makes me feel ugly. And I really do feel like I'm ugly if I left that sort of money grubbing impression on you."

Her tears couldn't stop. She buried her face into hands to try and hide her anger, but she mostly tried to hide from the fear that Sanji would leave her right there and then. Just as Sanji was about to speak she slid to the floor and continued to talk.

"I've been thinking for two whole days and I kept going in circles with the same things. What do I need to do to get you to look at me properly? I've been trying to figure it out, but I couldn't find the answer. I'm so jealous and desperate that I even embarrass myself! So what am I supposed to do? What do I do to get rid of my insecurities? What do I need to do in order to fill the gap of trust between me and you? What do I need to do to get you to properly look at me? To properly trust me?"

Sanji walked over and kneeled before her. He reached a hand to her arm hesitantly and she flinched when he made contact.

"Nami…"

"I've never even said _it_ out loud to you. So there is absolutely no way you'd believe me so…I've decided. In order to make you properly trust me, to know my feelings for you are real, then I will more than willingly give you my first time."

Sanji already knew she loved him but she was so far away from reason right now. He tried to be as comforting and soothing as possible.

"Nami, I've told you this countless of times. I love you. And you don't have to force yourself to give me your first time."

"Sanji do you know how much of a lie that sounds like? It feels like you're completely rejecting me."

"Nami, I only want you to do it because you want to. Not because you feel you have to."

"I do…want to. But now it feels like I have to. Isn't it fine this way?"

Sanji had to do something to snap her back into reality. He made a huge mistake and her confidence too a big hit. She was getting desperate to show her love for him and it broke his heart. If he was going to do something he needed to do it fast. He needed to scare her.

"Nami come here." he ordered.

Her eyes opened in surprise as he grabbed her wrist and lifted her to her feet; pulling her past the kitchen and through the door that held the staircase. Once they reached the top he darted to the left pulling onto her arm even more.

"Sa-Sanji that hurts. Let go!"

Sanji didn't say anything. He quickened their pace to the very first door that had been straight ahead and burst through. The room was illuminated with moonlight as well and she could clearly see it was a room. It looked modern but so empty and alone with a bed and a few items of furniture. Sanji turned to Nami and pressed her down against his bed which shocked her a little.

"Sanji what are you-"

The look on his face stopped her in her tracks. He held a hard, serious expression with eyes that constantly searched hers. Nami tried to roll over to the side when he placed a hands on the bed which blocked either side of her face. She then tried to shimmy downwards when Sanji locked his knees over her hips. She was trapped and couldn't get away.

"Seriously what are-"

"Nami, if you can look me in the eyes right now, and confidently say that you're willing to go all the way with me then I will not argue any further and I will take you here and now! I already know how you truly feel about me. So don't try to rush yourself into anything. I love you too much to touch you but if you need me to show you I will." he growled.

To Be Continued.

* * *

**Oh my! I just had to make it full of drama! what happens from here on out!**


	20. Of firsts and something more

Sanji never looked away from Nami's eyes. Her expression held surprise, confusion, and some fear. He didn't like the idea of scaring Nami but it was the only thing he could do to make her snap out of her dwelling doubts. He was gambling on this moment, hoping she'd back out of using sex as a last resort. If she didn't back out, he only prayed she was going to use a strong resolve instead of that half-baked sorrowful one from earlier.

Nami didn't know what to make of this situation. Sanji was never this angry or assertive. It scared her. But something about this situation gave her a sense of security. If she knew Sanji as well as she thought she did, then he didn't have any malicious intent.

"Sanji I…" Her expression was finally calm but there were tears at the edges of her eyes as she finally begun to realize what he was trying to do.

'_Shit…I think I scared her too much…'_ he inwardly groaned. He was absolutely sure that there was a spot waiting for guys like him in hell.

"…thank you…" she whispered.

Sanji looked at her with confusion and surprise as she began to smile softly. The tears slowly trickled from the corners of her eyes and she blinked hard trying to dispel them. Sanji carefully let out the breath he had been holding and kissed her cheek lightly.

'_I can't believe that worked…' _he thought in disbelief.

He lifted his head to look into Nami's eyes again and found the face he knew very well. She sighed but squinted her eyes slightly as the left over tears began to sting. Sanji brought up a hand and thumbed away as much as he could as he waited for her response.

"Your face…"

"Hm?"

"Show me your face." she said softly.

Sanji leaned back to bring his wallet from his back pocket, and pulled out neatly tucked bobby pins that Nami had used on his hair Monday night. He tried his bed pinning back as much as he could but failed causing Nami to giggle softly. This was the Nami he loved seeing. Not that upset, broken down, woman that looked like her.

She raised her arms to pull him closer and began fixing his hair for him. When she was finished she gave a small triumphant smile and lightly blushed.

"Nami, we don't have to do anything tonight. Just trust in my words." he said, in a loving and soothing tone.

"I…I want to." she spoke up, with that ever so innocent voice that he loved.

"Are you really sure? You're not using this as a desperate attempt to prove your point?"

She shook her head which indicated a 'no' and looked at him with confidence.

"There's no turning back once we-"

"I know…. So…let's do it."

His prayers were answered. She wasn't relying on her despair or her insecurities for this decision. She had a steady resolve etched into her and he could see it. He climbed over her and stood from the bed, lending her a hand to stand with him. She gladly accepted his hand and was whisked away into an embrace and was led to the bathroom. Before she could say anything he kissed her cheek and spoke first.

"Take a shower. You'll feel more relaxed."

"What do I -"

"You turn on the water. Then you get wet. You soap yourself down-" he joked

Nami slapped his chest playfully. Sanji was such an idiot sometimes.

"You didn't let me finish. What do I um, wear? I mean…uh…I know we'll be naked…"

She began to fidget slightly. She thought she sounded stupid but Sanji thought it was adorable. He left her side to grab a shirt from his drawer and handed it to her. It was baggy on him which meant it'd be somewhat of a nightgown for her. She glanced down at his offer and took it hesitantly.

"We can wait you know? When you have clothes you want to wear…" he said, checking to see if she really wanted this.

"No…this is fine…are you going to shower too?"

"Yea…there's another one… so I'll just used that…"

"...Ok…" she said shyly.

This was too much for Sanji's heart. Not too long ago she was yelling at him making him feel like the worst person ever and now she was back to her old sweet self. He needed to calm down but he also needed to man up a bit. It felt like they were two awkward teenagers just trying their best not to embarrass themselves. Nami had closed the door behind her and Sanji left to the other shower in his apartment, carrying a shirt and a pair of boxers.

* * *

Nami showered faster than she had anticipated and her heart pounded violently against her chest. She examined herself in the large mirror checking for any embarrassing marks or unwanted items on her body before pulling the over-sized shirt over her head, allowing it to drape over her body. Drying off her hair as much as she could, she made her way to the door and opened it slowly, seeing a change in the dark room. It was now dimly lit with a warm, hazy yellow glow from the lamp that rested upon a night stand next to Sanji's bed.

She closed the door behind her and looked around carefully in the new illumination that filled the room. Dark, spacious, wooden floors, a grayish almost faded out blue color of walls, a large bed, two black night stands, a black dresser, and more space. It felt so empty. There was a small, cream colored rug at the foot of the bed which desperately tried to add warmth to the room but it wasn't enough. The room was still too spacious. She looked back into the grove of the room where the bathroom was and noticed his walk-in closet. It was much bigger than hers and regardless of how many clothes that were there, it was still only half full.

She sat at the edge of his bed carefully, noticing the firm feel to it. Compared to the other half she was thrown onto earlier, this was quite the lonely, unattended side. Sanji wasn't kidding when he said it didn't feel like much of a home. Just as her thoughts were about to wander more Sanji had knocked onto the bedroom door.

'_Since when was the door closed?' _she thought. _'Did he do that for me?'_

Sanji opened the door cautiously to see Nami nervously stand and tug at the bottom of the large shirt, trying to cover herself a little more.

"Can I come in?" he asked with a soft tone.

"Its your room…" she muttered nervously.

Sanji closed the door behind him and made his way towards Nami which caused her to play with the bottom hem of the shirt even more. She was blushing furiously now and spoke as she glanced at him.

"You look very nice…" she said, still really shy.

Sanji sighed contently at how cute he thought Nami was. What was so nice about his appearance? It was just a well fitted shirt and a pair of boxers.

To Nami his appearance was very different. Instead of pining his hair back like she had done so earlier, he decided to part it directly through the center which framed his face nicely. His goatee was missing and it made him look younger and much more handsome than he already was.

Upon reaching her he sat her down gently and gave her a light kiss on the cheek, hoping to calm her down a little.

"Nami, we don't have to if you're that nervous."

"N-No…its just…anyone would be nervous right?" she said with a pout.

Sanji leaned in and pressed his forehead to hers, hovering his lips above hers and continued to speak.

"We'll take it very slow ok?"

Sanji's lips barely grazed her lips when he spoke and she it left her wanting to indulge in his kisses. He guided her towards the center of his bed and sat cross legged in front of her, motioning her to sit in his lap. She slid herself on, feeling a little uncomfortable as she felt the cool air pass between her thighs while she grazed her knees passed his waist. After adjusting herself into his lap she felt herself relax as her butt fit nicely over the crosses of his legs and her feet planting themselves onto the bed.

Sanji placed careful hands onto her waist and leaned in with constant, soft pecks against her lips. For a moment Nami hesitantly responded at first but soon found herself leaning in to change the pace of his kisses. Sanji responded back by turning his head to the side slightly and engaged in open, passionate kisses which she began responding to well. He slid his hands down her waist and, in soothing back and forth motions, rubbed her thighs. Nami purred softly into him and placed her hands around his neck wanting to deepen the kiss.

Taking it slow was a great choice because it not only comforted Nami, but it made the transitions into each kiss all the more loving and exciting. She began to tug at this shirt, opting him to remove it so she could feel his body against her fingers. As he removed his shirt Nami kissed against his collarbone and sucked softly against his skin. She licked her tongue across his neck before lapping his skin into hungry playful kisses. She explored down further with her mouth into massaging circles on top of is broad chest and made her way back up to lips.

Sanji snaked his hands beneath her shirt and rubbed against her lower back and pulled her shirt up slowly, testing if she was ready to remove it. She willingly lifted her arms and immediately covered her breasts as soon as the shirt was tossed to the floor. Sanji kissed at her cheeks and to her earlobes while rubbing his hands against her shoulders in which he felt her relax and drop her hands.

As soon as he felt she was comfortable enough he leaned into her, guiding her down gently to the bed, capturing a nipple into his mouth and began sucking it generously. She fought back a moan as he sucked enough to create a light pop from his mouth to switch to her other nipple. Fondling the other with a free hand he licked around her breast then circling the pink bud around and around with his tongue.

She placed her fingers being his ears urging him to return to her lips and he did so. Another set of sweet kisses played before her lips and she laughed softly. Sanji smiled and spoke between their kisses.

"What?" he asked amused.

"You kiss. Like. A. Prince." she said between kisses.

Sanji kissed her once more and begun trailing hot kisses from her throat to her stomach, and went lower and lower exploring her inner thighs with his tongue. She squirmed slightly from feeling ticklish at first before her breath turned sharp as she felt a warm tongue slide along the outside of her most intimate folds.

"S-Sanji," Nami stuttered; feeling a mix of embarrassment and arousal.

She wasn't sure how to react. The pleasure and embarrassment drove her to squeeze his shoulders between her knees before having them fall wider from the intense feeling and from him pressing them apart. The feeling grew more pleasurable created by his slow deep licks and sucks and then trailed his tongue down to her opening.

Nami tried to sustain a moan as she felt him enter her with his tongue. He repeated the movement several times before flattening his tongue to stiffly licking upwards towards her round and very sensitive bud. Nami's stifled moans turned into soft whimpers as Sanji repeatedly sucked at her spot and flicked his tongue back and forth. The feeling had been driving her insane and she couldn't help but swing her hips subconsciously trying steady her staggered breaths.

"S-Sanji" she gasped, as she found her limit finally being reached and a great release took over her.

Sanji sat up for a moment wiping the edge of his mouth as Nami closed her legs together, feeling the remains of her orgasm which caused her to spasm a few times. She saw his face and covered hers with her hands in pure embarrassment.

Sanji moved up close and gently tugged at her hands and she pressed it harder onto her face.

"Don't do that. Show me your face." he chuckled.

"No way!"

"Show me." he said a more low, sweet tone.

"No…Its embarrassing…"

"No one is here but me. It's just me looking."

"That's not the problem…its embarrassing _because_ its you…"

Sanji leaned into her ear and nibbled lightly as he used a free hand to fondle her breasts again. She felt like putty in his hands and felt her hands loosen from their position. He took the opportunity to move his lips to her neck and back up to her lips where she finally dropped her hands.

She tasted the strange flavor from his mouth as their tongues swirled with one another and ran her hands down his well proportioned abdomen. He swirled his tongue deeper into her mouth and felt a pair of shaking hands, tug his boxers completely down. She gripped along his backside pulling him closer to feel his arousal pressed against her and her hands began to shake even more.

"_Nami_…" he said sweetly. "We can stop here if you're that nervous."

Nami shook her head telling him 'no' and he kissed her cheeks gently. He grabbed her hand and pressed it against his chest, hoping she could feel his heart beat.

Nami looked up into his deep, loving eyes and soon felt the light pulsations against the palm of her hand and the edges of her fingertips. Sanji was just as nervous as she was but hid it much better. Her hands slowly stopped shaking as Sanji leaned in and kissed against her neck.

"Are you absolutely sure?" he whispered

He lifted his head to look into her eyes was greeted with a soft kiss and a nod.

"Ok." he said, with a loving smile.

He rolled over to the black night stand on his left and pulled out a small, square, plastic package and carefully worked at the corner of it, releasing its contents and rolling it onto his erect member. Nami blushed as she caught sight of is manhood and felt her nerves wiring back up.

Sanji climbed back over her and fixed himself between her legs while pressing his chest against hers. He began to kiss her once more trying calm her down as he could feel her heart pounding against his chest.

After a few moments he explored her with wandering hands and tenderly kissed every part her body. A moan escaped from her lips as he glided a hand between her legs to rub against her slick womanhood. She was still sensitive from his earlier handling and let a moan escape her lips as he inserted a finger into her entrance. He increased the amount slowly pumping his hand while stretching within her in an attempt to make it less painful as possible. Kissing against her chest and moving upwards he pulled out his fingers slowly. He slid his wet hand against her inner thigh making her heart beat faster.

He laced his fingers with hers and kissed her lips again, letting her know it was time.

"Are you ready?" he asked softly.

Nami gave him a nod unable to find her voice. She gazed into his eyes and smiled. Being able to see his face and gaze into his eyes like this felt like she was actually seeing his real feelings.

"If it hurts too much, stop me ok?"

She nodded again and held her breath as he rubbed his tip at her entrance.

"A-At least c-count to three…" she stuttered.

This was exactly a repeat from Monday and it made him love her all the more. He leaned in and exhaled into the crook of her neck and spoke.

"One…" he kissed her neck. "Two…" he kissed her chin. "Three…" he kissed her lips just as she exhaled.

Sanji had slowly pressed himself into her hoping not to cause her as much pain as he could. The tightness against his manhood made him twitch at how pleasurable it felt but he knew better than to keep moving.

Nami could feel the pressure against her inner walls and it felt like she was being torn apart. Sanji only inserted himself deeper and slowly pulled himself out kissing her chest. As he entered again, her brows furrowed at the stinging sensation as he pressed himself deeper and slowly pulled himself out once more. All it took was another two times before Nami was completely fine and urged him into her.

Sanji closed his eyes and exhaled in relief that the hard part was over and concentrated on the warm, tight feeling around him. He began to rock his hips into her at a nice even pace with his deep penetrating thrusts. The slaps of flesh between thrusts were almost completely drowned out by their soft moans and heavy pants.

"I love you." he panted.

His voice was low, but had a certain ring to it. And he kept repeating those sweet words into her ear as the pace picked up. Her hands that held onto his shoulders had begun to shake and slide off but not with nervousness. The amount of pleasure, and the sweat of their bodies, made it hard for her to keep holding on.

Sanji didn't know how much longer he could last without devouring her. He loved Nami too much and seeing her expressions, and hearing her desperate attempts to say his name, threw him over the wall. Each of his thrusts were becoming harder and quicker and Nami's breaths began to shorten before digging her nails into his shoulders from a release that echoed throughout her body. He felt his manhood clench within her and shut his eyes tightly from the amazing feeling from his release. She couldn't help but spasm each time he jerked into her, getting every last bit of his release into the condom and collapsed beside her after pulling out.

They each took a moment to remember how to breathe and Nami couldn't help but giggle.

"What's so funny?"

"I'm just being silly. Don't mind me."

"Tell me." he whispered as he kissed her lips lightly.

"You're my first. And in a way, I'm your first too….Um...let me explain. I'm the first to see your full face… And um…. I'm the first you had sex with in your hotel suite…so that means I'm the first" She laughed

"Nami we didn't have sex. We made love. There's a difference. So yes, you're the first person I've made love with." he said sweetly.

Nami found her face heating from the way he said it and tried to roll over to hide her face when Sanji stopped her.

"Look at me Nami. You're also my first love."

Nami gazed into his eyes and blushed even more as he looked at her with those pit less eyes that she loved and sometimes hated. Nothing could have been said to explain how much they felt for one another. In moments like this, actions would be better, so he pulled her in for a long lasting kiss and pulled away again to look at her once more. Just as he was about to say something both of their stomachs growled loudly which caused them to laugh. Sanji looked towards the clock that rested upon his night stand and looked at Nami again.

"I seriously thought we killed a lot more time than that." he spoke with a surprised tone.

"Why? What time is it?"

"It's only nine…"

"Then what do we do?"

"How about I clean up and then make us something?"

"That sounds nice she grinned."

To Be Continued...

* * *

**I had such a hard time writing this! I needed the right music to listen to and the right transition sequence for it as well so that I could get into the mood. Not like that! Don't think that! You nasty little...j/k XD**

**I'm going to be honest and say that as much as I love reading 'm' romance it was really hard to write since I have no experience whatsoever in that department. I had to ask questions to friends, search online and ask dumb questions on yahoo answers for personal experiences and feelings, and I also 'watched' a few things with headphones pressed tightly to my ears with my back pressed against a corner. Almost got caught a few times too lmfao! I have more to write so I hope you guys stick around to see how things turn out later instead of just ditching now since they finally 'went all the way'. **

**Now that I have a general idea of how to write with sexual themes, and I have friends who won't shut up saying how proud they are of my curiosity, I'm confident that I can keep adding more themes and scenes.  
**

**Oh! If you're not shy and want to lend me a hand, send me a private message with your 'experiences' and your feelings about it. You don't have to tell me your name or age. It's all completely anonymous. I just want to get a broad understanding of the emotions that are put into place and the feelings and sensations with them as well. Please be mindful that I do not accept crude or rude messages with your experiences. I'm not saying to sugarcoat anything but I don't want any fake or bogus stories like, "Oh yea the homies and I got this chick, blah blah blah" or "So us girls tied him down against his will and, blah blah blah". None of that!**

Thanks again! Love you all! Happy Reading!


	21. Understanding

The food wasn't done yet but the intoxicating aroma filled the entire area which made Nami's stomach growl more. Sanji had grabbed a chair from one of the kitchen tables and placed it on the other side of the open counter so he could talk to her as he cooked.

"Hey…" she said.

"Yes?"

"Don't you think this is too much?"

"What is?" he asked, as he looked all over the counter. Was she referring to the food he was cooking?

"This place…Why are you living in a hotel? Why not an apartment?"

"What are you talking about? This isn't a hotel."

Nami blinked in confusion. "It's not an elaborate suite?"

Sanji looked at her like she was some sort of alien until it dawned on him that they never came in from the front entrance. He basically took her against her will to come here, entered through the parking garage, and made love to her not too long ago. Weren't there names for people like him? Sure he had the title 'boyfriend' but somehow he felt like a criminal when he thought it about it like that.

"Nami this is my condo."

Nami looked around the room from where she had been sitting by the kitchen. Now that she got a better look, it did look more like a condo rather than a hotel suite.

"Sanji, this isn't funny. Isn't there a limit to how much money you can have?"

"I didn't buy it. I just took the monthly payments. Its not that bad actually." he said nonchalantly and begun to taste test some sort of liquid that had been simmering in a sauce pan.

"Sanji…this place is unnecessarily spacious. What does this place consist of anyways?"

Sanji stirred the contents that fried in a wide pan as he gave Nami a thoughtful expression.

"If I had to say…there are six bedrooms, four bathrooms, a laundry room, a day room-"

"Now this really isn't funny…what do you do with six rooms?"

"Two of them were made into studies, I use one of them as a storage room, another is a TV room, then there is my room, and lastly, an empty bedroom."

Nami stared at Sanji with her mouth agape as she tried to contemplate how expensive it was to own a place like this. Six rooms and four bathrooms. How can he afford the monthly payments? Sanji was nineteen for crying out loud! Was 'All Blue' really that good of a restaurant?

"So you run 'All Blue' now..." she said, trying to absorb the information.

"I'm the co-owner. The old man wanted to open a new restaurant and wanted to completely leave the place in someone else's hands. No one wanted the position, including myself, but I forced my ass to take it or business was ruined. I told that shitty geezer I wouldn't take it over completely but I'd just look after the place. I still work with everyone else in the back. I'm just the pretty face for the place."

Nami really didn't know how to digest the information.

"Sanji, forgive me but I can't really comprehend this story. Its like a Cinderella story that froze at the highlight of the fame and fortune."

Sanji looked to Nami and noticed the troubled expression upon her face as she bit her lower lip and glanced around again.

"This place belonged to the shitty geezer. After he made the decision to open up a new place he moved too. Mortgage is taken care of since the geezer had this place for years. And since I live alone, I don't waste as much energy so my bills are relatively cheap. I think it's a pretty sweet deal."

"He had this place for years? But Sanji this is NW city. You went to East Blue Academy with everyone. The district you needed to live in to go there was East Blue City or Grand Line City. You explained to me about the high way that cuts travel time in half but even so things really don't add up."

"I had a place just at the edge of Grand Line City. It was closer to the highway which mean it was closer to work."

"Work?"

"Yea, I grew up working at 'All Blue'."

"…I see…well by bike it only takes twenty minutes to get to school, even if you lived in the outskirts of Grand Line City…then explain to me about this place and the one you mentioned earlier. You said he had this place for years...doesn't that mean you lived alone?"

"For a bit." he shrugged. "Its not that big of a deal really. A lot of students lived alone back then so it really didn't bother the school."

This fact was true. The school didn't ask questions as long as the tuition was paid and the rules were followed. Special exceptions were made to students like Nami and in a surprising case, like Sanji.

Nami thought back about how much she knew about Sanji back then. She had met Sanji through Luffy on her first day of high school and he fawned over almost every female he saw. He cooked well, showed almost no interest in school, and flirted with Nami and every other girl on a daily basis. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that although they were good friends, she didn't know the in-depth story about him.

"Then how did you get to work? You had a bicycle, which I clearly remember because you gave me a ride a few times."

"I also had a car. The first year and a half of high school I drove illegally until I got my license."

Nami stopped to think for a bit. She really needed to absorb all of this information and Sanji gladly gave her the time she needed to think.

"Your story sounds a little…unreal. Have you been secretly hanging out with Usopp too much?" she joked.

"Well so did yours but I didn't judge." he said in a calm tone; referring to her story about her disappearance.

"Sorry…"

"Ah, I didn't mean to make it seem like I was offended or anything. Really, I'm not." Sanji said with a reassuring tone.

He had just finished his bustling around in the kitchen and grabbed a set of plates and silverware which caught Nami's attention.

"Do you need any help?"

"No, its fine, just relax. I should be asking you if you need help."

"What?"

"The feeling hasn't kicked in yet has it?" he said, hoping he wouldn't be beaten for it later.

Sanji walked back and forth from the table to the kitchen with a slightly hesitant demeanor as he set the plates down and brought the food to the table.

"What feeling?" she asked curiously.

"You might feel…_sore_…"

"Oh…um…ok…" she said awkwardly.

The feeling in the room suddenly felt a little awkward but not in a painful or strange type of awkward. They had just taken the next step into their relationship and Nami was just reminded about it by Sanji's comment. It was like a new beginning with the shyness and slight hesitance before things warmed up again.

"Nami…are you really ok?"

"Sanji I'm fine. It doesn't hurt-"

"I'm talking about before…I'm really sorry and I don't expect your forgiveness right off the bat so..." He spoke with a serious expression. He didn't want to believe that Nami was still upset but he didn't want to chance another argument that took a blow to her confidence and trust.

"Sulking doesn't suit you very well. Truthfully, I'm surprised with myself. I was really upset, now that I got it all off my chest I feel better." Nami spoke with a perky, reassuring tone and gave him a genuine smile.

"If you still want to talk about it, or if you get bothered by it, then tell me. Don't hide it and hold it in. Don't let it fester. Curse me out. Beat me up…I dunno, something. Just don't fake it away like its ok."

Sanji made his way to Nami and with his fingertips, trailed along the sides of her arms, down to her hands. He still searched her face for any 'out there' emotions that were left over but couldn't see anything, and then sighed in relief. Her eyes sparkled with the normal exuberance they usually held and it really lifted a lot of weight from his shoulders.

"Sanji, I'm good. Now stop sulking. You're going to get wrinkles and make your eyebrows straight."

"I should sulk more then." he chuckled as he turned with her hands still in his.

Nami stood slowly and noticed a sore, raw feeling between her legs as she took a few steps. She winced slightly and stopped moving for a bit trying to ease the feeling. After it subsided she moved her legs again and the feeling took over once more and she grimaced. She stopped walking and looked at Sanji with embarrassment. Sanji turned to see why she stopped and spoke.

"Nami?"

"Sanji…how about we eat here at the counter?"

"So its finally hit you?" he asked with a nervous, yet playful smile.

"N-No! Stupid! I'm just lazy!"

Sanji turned to lean into her and exhaled. The feeling of his warm breath lapping in and around her ear tickled and she tilted her head to rub her ear against her shoulder. Sanji took a free hand and wrapped it behind her back and scooped her up with the other and carried her to the table.

"This should solve our problem then." he mused.

Sanji made his way to the table and carefully brought her to her feet, and immediately pulled out a chair for her. The table was square, made of dark wood, and had enough space to fit four people. It was small, and very, family oriented. The only thing that seemed to make this place a home. To her left a few feet away was a long rectangular table which was made of the same wood and was big enough to seat eight people.

"Sanji…?"

"Yes?"

"How long have you been living here?"

"I'd say a few days after you moved out of your old house was when I moved here."

"I see…. It feels…empty… I mean the décor is nice and it looks modern and things are placed nicely and its spacious but... it feels empty."

"You've noticed it too huh? I suppose in time it'll feel more like a home. I can't say much since its only been a few months so I'll just have to wait and see."

Sanji spoke about it very nonchalantly, almost like he didn't care about it. Nami cared though. It felt empty. It was warm but it didn't have the _warmth_ a person needed. It actually lacked a lot of things a person needed regardless of the amount of things that were already there. Nami would have felt too lonely if she lived here by herself and she couldn't figure out how Sanji managed to do it.

"I told you your place felt much more like a home. Now eat before your food gets cold."

Nami looked down to her plate and her mouth began to water. She had forgotten about the food as she expressed her concern for Sanji, but now she was well reminded of how much the aroma filled her nostrils.

"So Sanji, what am I about to eat?" she asked cheerfully.

"You, my dear, are looking at seared lamb with cracked wheat-currant pilaf, a light garden salad and a side of balsamic sauce."

Nami slowly cut a piece of lamb and examined it carefully. She had never tried lamb before and wasn't too keen on the idea of giving it a chance this evening, but she didn't want to offend Sanji. He was a great cook and took pride in his dishes and she didn't want to seem like a picky eater; even if he would have spoiled her with a different dish. As she placed it into her mouth and chewed slowly an explosion of flavor filled her mouth. The lamb was quite tender and well seasoned. It barely had a salty aftertaste but that was what really complemented the lamb. The pilaf had buttery, garlic aftertaste but it was just as delicious. When she tried the balsamic sauce with a light dip of her next piece of lamb she felt like melting. It tied the whole dish perfectly with its slight, honey smoked after taste.

"Sanji this is amazing. I'm going to get fat if I keep eating your delicious food."

"Thank you, and, you don't need to worry about getting fat. Everything I make is healthy." he said with a confident, yet calm smile.

Sanji sounded a little too confident but it just showed how much pride he had in his food. He never did boast or brag about things to her seriously so Nami let him have his well deserved moment. He continued to speak and completely caught her off guard with his next sentence.

"Besides, even if you did get fat, I wouldn't stop loving you."

Nami's face began to flush and quickly put more food into her mouth. He was always so open and straightforward to show his love and affection to Nami. She showed her affection and appreciation to him in a lot of ways but she never openly said it. All this time she had been waiting for the perfect moment to say those three important words he always said to her, but each time she had a clear moment she chickened out.

Sanji noticed her fidget in her seat with a blush across her face and smiled. He really did love seeing Nami's cute side. He loved making her flustered by just simple words such as these. It was a clear enough indication that she liked hearing what he had to say about her. Sanji had just bit into his food when Nami spoke.

"Sanji, I have a question. And, I don't want to sour the mood or anything but I guess it's the one thing that still bothers me…"

"What is it?" he asked curiously. He had a feeling he knew what she was about to ask but decided to wait and see just what her question would be. He already told her to speak her mind when things bothered her so he definitely wasn't going to turn her away.

"Why does she have your number? Kalifa that is…"

Sanji sighed and looked at Nami with a careful expression. He knew this was going to be the question.

"Nami, she's a busy woman. She actually comes to the restaurant a lot for business. I know what you're thinking and yes she does have the number to the restaurant, but she also has my personal number for networking purposes. If there is an important client she meets and feels nice enough to introduce me then she calls me if I'm not at work. That is my only reason for seeing her during the day or evenings now. Even if I wanted to cut off contact with her I can't exactly do that…"

Nami listened carefully to his explanation and began to understand the situation very clearly. But what was with his last sentence?

"I won't ask you to stop talking to her now that I understand a bit, but why did you said you can't?"

Sanji hesitated for a moment looked at Nami curiously. He needed a read on her expression so he can word his next sentence carefully. As he noticed nothing dangerous in her face he finally spoke.

"We're family."

"…what?"

"Well, used to be…"

"Um, Sanji, I'm not following. You used to sleep with her…right?" Nami said nervously. This was a little to weird to hear but she needed this information.

"She used to be married to my step-cousin. We're not related by blood but she left a very good impression on the family, so I see her at family gatherings once in a blue moon."

"You slept with your cousin…?" Nami said with an almost lifeless tone.

"Step-cousin's ex-wife…"

"I see…"

"Yes…"

"…"

"…"

"…Sanji…"

"…yes…?"

"…that's weird…"

"…I suppose it is…"

The conversation was really awkward. Kalifa was a distant, ex-marriage-related cousin that he slept with as his first. Who sleeps with someone that used to be married to their step-cousin? Step-cousin, to Nami, obviously meant some kid whose mother or father married into Sanji's side of the family, so obviously it meant they wasn't blood related. Then Kalifa comes along and marries into the step-cousin. Still not blood related. But still, family is family and that felt a little weird hearing it. What was the story behind it? Nami wanted to know more about the situation but she didn't want to seem rude prying so she just asked two simple questions.

"Was she still...married when you guys…hooked up?"

"No."

"Are the two of you close?"

"Not at all. We're more like business partners if you ask me. Maybe even strangers. There is a line we both made and will never cross."

"Ok…crisis averted."

Crisis averted? What did Nami mean by that? Sanji had begun to worry about her mood again and observed her facial expression carefully. Her face was calm and thoughtful as she continued to eat. He saw no signs of his downfall but the silence made his ears ring in anticipation for her to say something.

"Nami…what do you mean by 'crisis averted'…? he asked nervously.

"If you two were close and she was still married when you both 'hooked up' I was about to have a panic attack. Family bonds that turn into sexual bonds make things more complicated and I felt nervous that she would have an upper hand against me if she wanted to try anything funny. But, crisis has been averted." she suddenly said with an up-beat attitude.

Sanji sighed in relief to her positive mood when she asked him another question.

"If you two are like business partners, does that mean you knew she worked at Galley La Company?"

"I honestly never knew she worked for Galley La Co. until I saw her that day at lunch. I knew she was some hotshot secretary but I didn't care to ask since we're like strangers."

"I see. Another crisis averted." she giggled.

Oh boy. Another crisis was averted. Sanji could take a good guess as to why this was almost a crisis. If he had known Kalifa worked at Galley La Co. and hid it from Nami, that would definitely have upset her. But it truly was a good thing he never pried or asked about Kalifa's life. Not that he cared. They merely scratched each others itches.

As the two of them finished their food, Sanji made a motion to grab her plate when she slapped his hand playfully.

"I got it." she said, standing very slowly. The raw feeling between her legs only burned more started to sting. She slowly slid her feet across the floor as Sanji had already passed her twice as he removed his dishes and brought the left over food to the counter for packaging.

Each time he passed her, put food away, and washed dishes, he watched Nami carefully. He knew offering to help her would make her shy and temperamental so he just enjoyed the view, waiting for her to say something. He wasn't a sadist but seeing Nami struggle was a little cute. As she finally reached the sink she had the most triumphant look on her face and grinned as big as she could; but when she turned her body slightly, a look of horror plagued her face. She forgot the glass cup on the table. It was so obvious she didn't want to make a big deal of how she felt, and how she didn't want to get the glass, but Sanji couldn't help but be amused at how stubborn she was being. She could have asked for him to do it but she didn't.

She began to slowly slide her feet across the floor again and Sanji heard and almost inaudible groan leave her lips. He smiled playfully and finished washing the last bit of dishes and came from behind her, just as she finally reached the table. As her hands barely touched the glass, he reached for it and kissed her cheek quickly and scurried off to the sink. He had a feeling he was going to get it later for making her try to walk all that way and he was right. Nami had turned around with a puffy, angry face and glared at him.

Sanji cheerfully washed the glass cup as Nami slowly made her way over to him. She was now within arms reach as he dried his hands. She looked at his arm with the intent of giving a nice pinch and raised her hand. Just as she tried to grab his arm, he shuffled slowly to his left, just short of escaping her reach. Nami didn't notice his shuffle and thought she was just still to far for a payback pinch she so inched closer again. He shuffled again and this time Nami knew he was doing this on purpose. Each foot she slid closer to him earned another shuffle away. Sanji could see her pout even more but kept a calm smile upon his face as he shuffled again.

"Stop moving! I know you're doing it on purpose! Just let me pinch you already!" she shouted.

"What? I'm not doing anything. Why would you pinch me? I did nothing wrong." he said with a hurt expression but a playful tone.

"You know very well why I want to pinch you. Stop avoiding the inevitable or it'll be much worse when I can actually chase you down."

"What's that? Oh yes Nami, I love you too." Sanji said, puckering his lips as he shuffled out of her reach again.

"Grraah forget it! I'm thirsty now." she grumbled. She glared at Sanji expectantly with a pout of her lips and huffed.

Sanji sighed contently and made his way back to her cautiously, wondering if this was all an elaborate act for her 'revenge'. To his surprise she tried nothing and she continued to stare at him expectantly for a drink. Even though he had just washed her glass, she was going to make him serve her another drink if she couldn't reach him for revenge…yet.

Sanji wasn't sure what she wanted to drink and gave her curious look. Surely she didn't expect him to read her mind, did she? She still maintained a slight pout against her lips as she watched him. She knew that look in his face and decided to give him some mercy by muttering the word, "water".

Just what sort of revenge was this? It was so weak. Sanji outstretched his hand with the glass of water trying to keep the best amount of distance possible with a scrunched up face. He was clearly still playing around as he handed her the glass as if it were toxic.

"Stop making that face. You look gross."

"I look gross?" he asked in disbelief.

Nami sipped at the contents of her glass and passed a few glances Sanji's way. This definitely wasn't the revenge she had planned on but it was quite do-able. He looked a little distraught hearing he looked gross. On purpose she changed the subject just to get a little rise out of him.

"So are you taking me home later?"

"I look gross?"

"I don't have clothes here and I work at nine."

"Do I really look gross?"

"Now what do we do? Do you want to wake up early and drop me home? Or can you drop me off tonight?"

.

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

**Author Note:**  
**Hey everyone, this chapter came out short and later than I anticipated. And it felt so blah because I'm a little pissed and can't think straight because of the stress that be being thrown into my face. It seriously feels like a damn plastic bag blowing in the wind that just so happened to slap my face and I'm frantically trying to pull it off.**

**To make a long story short, I was supposed to have my nursing exam 4 months ago when my memory was still fresh. The National Nursing Board kept cancelling my appointments due to quorum issues or missing board members. Yea no one gives a shit here when it comes to doing their work where I live. So I'm sour at the moment. And now my memory isn't as fresh. I just got word that my nursing license exam is August 17 and 18. I'm being forced to study my ass off now. And, I have to give up my time to take free review courses [damn straight those classes better be free! after all that money and schooling I went through it should be free!] Anyways, I might not be updating every 2-3 days like I normally do. I might update weekly or weekends until things cool down buuuuuuuut you never know with me. I'm a creature of the night and never really sleep so...updates might be random.**  
**I'm still pissed. I hate random updates from myself...especially since I have a good time table and plot planned out. Now I have to change it to fit my schedule.**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter even if i was blah-ed out.**

**Still pissed cause I was supposed to start adding a Naruto fanfic based on SakuraxKakashi and a One Piece fanfic based on NamixZoro but now I have to wait on that too**


	22. Of handsome men and rosy winks

"I'm sorry." Nami blurted.

"Huh?" spoke a confused Kalifa.

"I'm sorry… I shouldn't have been snippy with you yesterday. And I want to apologize. You were kind enough to invite me out to talk about my frustrations and I turned it into a drama fest. So…I'm sorry."

Nami made good eye contact with Kalifa, with confidence back into bones. She knew she was being immature and overly upset the other day and she shouldn't have brought Kalifa into any of it, so she was trying her best to apologize. Kalifa was the only person she could really get along with at work on an 'almost friend' status so she wanted to fix things as soon as possible.

Kalifa smiled and placed a warm, delicate hand on Nami's shoulder. She wasn't mad at all about yesterday's events and was very appreciative that Nami took the initiative to apologize. Most women would have stuck with the rivalry and hate, and although Nami was capable of it, she didn't result to those sorts of matters. Truth be told, Kalifa felt a little guilty because she was partly at fault for adding a little 'extra' to the conversation, but somewhere in her gut she knew that if she apologized, Nami would have apologized again, and then it would have been a competition on who could out-apologize the other.

It was just as bad as trying to out-thank a Chinese waiter. You say thank you, he says it back. You say it again as does he. You try to cough it out inconspicuously and he copies you. You try to whisper it and he does the same. So Kalifa only smiled and accepted her apology.

"So…" Kalifa sang, trying to seem subtle about what she was going to talk about. "It seems like someone finally became a woman."

Nami tensed a little and a blush slowly crept its way to her cheeks. How did she know? Sanji had dropped her home so she could get a fresh change of clothes earlier that morning. So how did she know?

"I'm sorry?" Nami said, trying to play dumb.

"Don't pull that on me little missy. You're glowing." she said with a sly smile.

"Glowing?"

Nami began to look at her arms and inspect her skin. Nami was a well educated woman and knew she wouldn't literally glow. The only thing she could think of was a hormone secretion that made her skin look brighter or much more shiny as it reflected upon the lights, causing a 'glowing' factor. But apparently she was too smart for her own good.

Kalifa surely got the hint at just how innocent Nami really was and laughed. Kalifa had merely meant that Nami was happy and had a great attitude that anyone could clearly see.

Nami's face looked much more warm to her. She reminded Kalifa of herself when she was much younger. Smart, pretty, feisty, and just so alive. She too was too 'smart for her own good' growing up and was very naïve towards a lot of things. There were just some things she had to learn on her own through experience.

She didn't explain to Nami what 'glowing' meant but instead pressed the topic further.

"So? How was it? Fantastic right? I'm a pretty good teacher if I do say so myself."

Nami tensed slightly at Kalifa's comment as she was still slightly uncomfortable with the fact that her and Sanji used to be sex-friends. She understood the situation very well and wasn't sore or sour about their history at all, but it was just plain weird to talk about that stuff. Should someone really be boasting about that to the current girlfriend of an old sex friend?

Kalifa could see the uncomfortable smile Nami tried to hold and deviously smiled.

"Get used to the conversation Nami. He's your's, not mine. I don't steal. If you want, I could tell you a few things to drive his nerves over a wall."

"Thanks but no thanks. I'd rather, he tell me or I figure it out on my own." she deadpanned with a flushed face.

* * *

Later as her shift was ending, Sanji had called her work to tell her he was going to be a little late. Nami didn't mind. It gave her time to relax since walking was still a little bit troublesome for her. But a little late eventually turned into a lot late and Nami was getting thirsty. She thought about what was worse for her - the stairs up to the next floor for a drink at the end of the long hall, or a walk to the smoothie shop across the smooth, flat, street? Either way Sanji was bound to see her so it didn't really matter, though both plans seemed awful as it required walking. So she took her chances with the smoothie shop.

Upon exiting her work, she saw a familiar tuft of blond hair walk through the smoothie shop doors. What was Sanji doing there? Was he getting her something? A smile slowly crept to Nami's face as she thought about how that was such a Sanji thing to do. Ignoring the troublesome feeling between her legs she found her pace quickening as she wanted to lay a surprise kiss on him. Sanji was always romantic to her but today, she felt like turning the tables. But as she finally made her way into the shop she saw no blond hair. Was she imagining things? No, she couldn't have. She knew she saw his blond hair enter and was absolutely sure she saw no one leave.

Nami sighed to herself in defeat as she reached the counter. So much for being romantic. She simply shrugged it off as her being needy. She really did want to see him badly today so she figured she was imagining things. She made her order and leaned into the counter, closing her eyes and began rubbing her temples. Today was a long day and she wanted nothing more than to see Sanji and take a nap.

Just then, someone stood next to her and the familiar smell of mint passed by her nose. She inhaled deeply and she was sure now that Sanji had entered the shop. But what was with that acid-like, floral after smell to it? Nami didn't care. She just wanted to see Sanji.

Without looking she thought to sound flirty and speak to him.

"Hey handsome, you come here often?" she said with a playful smile.

She turned her gaze to her left to the man she loved but found herself shocked and mortified. The man next to her was not the man she loved. But some giant, overly muscled man with thin arms and legs, an overly chiseled face, blond hair, and eyebrows that curled on the ends. He wore black jeans, black boots, and a skin tight black shirt with red roses printed along the bottom.

The man turned his attention to her and blushed but quickly regained his composure. He made guns out of his fingers and pointed them towards her.

"Ah so you know my name! Such a beautiful woman has spoken to me. It's like I've been shot by the love god. Her beauty is enough to complement my own."

He then made the ugliest face in the world. His right eye closed, his left eye squinted so far you could only see the white of his eye, his smile grew distorted and open, and a few veins popped out of his neck and forehead. It was the ugliest attempt of a wink in the history of time and it made Nami's skin crawl.

"Surely this is fate!" He pulled out a mirror and began looking at himself. "Oh mirror, mirror, in my hand, who is the most handsome across the land? Hmm? Me? Of course! Mirror, Mirror point to the beauty, who shall always stay with me!"

The blond man twirled in a circle and pointed his mirror towards Nami with yet another ugly wink.

_'Oh shit! Wrong person!'_Nami mentally screamed.

"No you got it all wrong! I thought you were someone else!" she shouted.

"Oh my, being shy now are we? Don't worry, I can understand that you'd feel inferior to my extremely handsome face but trust me, I have enough beauty for the both of us!"

The moment Nami's smoothie reached the counter she swiped it and ran as fast as she could out of that shop. She didn't care about her change. She just wanted to get away from there. But that didn't stop him from chasing after her.

"Wait, my beauty, we shall talk about how beautiful we are together and then share in the glory of my beauty alone!"

"Get away! I said I made a mistake! I already have a boyfriend!" she yelped.

Just then, she bumped into Sanji and thanked whatever god that had been watching over her.

"Sanji quick hide me!"

She ran behind him and used him as a shield as the strange man closed in even more.

"My beauty, no need to be shy! Your handsome knight has-"

The man stopped in his tracks once he noticed Sanji and changed the topic completely.

"Ah! Sanji its me handsome! Are you feeling rosy today?"

"Oi, what did I tell you about being narcissistic? And what are you doing bothering my girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend? Surely she is not your girlfriend. She is beautiful and spoke to me, handsome. We are destined under a beautiful star, that is not as beautiful as I, and shall be together forever."

"Say that again and you won't be handsome anymore. Don't forget who made you good looking in the first place!"

"Isn't life just rosy Sanji? If feel that you are lonely and upset. You are handsome too, though not as handsome as I. Surely I can help you make life rosy!"

"Listen when people are talking to you! Leave. Now." growled Sanji.

The strange blond man made a fancy twirl and shouted to them, "Forget me not my beautiful red head! My name is Mr. Handsome! Life shall be rosy for us in the future!"

And with that he pranced back towards the shop.

_'That was easier than I thought. Wait, how does he know Sanji's name?_'

Before she could say anything she was drawn into a hungry kiss. Nami would have dropped her smoothie if it wasn't for Sanji taking a hold onto it. As he pulled away leaving a slightly panting Nami, he began to sip at her smoothie with a smile.

"Hey, that's not fair. I didn't get to drink it yet."

He leaned in and placed another kiss upon her lips and in a low voice he said, "Shall I help you drink it?"

The way Sanji said it left her with high hopes of what he was about to do. Was he going to put some in his mouth and feed it to her through a hot, hungry kiss? Was he going to dip his fingers in it and have her lick his fingers? Nami suddenly realized just how sexy her thoughts were turning and she was now desperately waiting for his choice of 'helping her'. She met his gaze and searched his eyes for anything that could hint to her what he was about to do.

"Say ah." he said, in a low, playful tone.

Nami opened her mouth with a light 'ah' sound when Sanji placed the straw in her mouth and made her lose her lips. Nami began to pout as she began sipping at the contents of her smoothie and when she finished, she pouted even more.

"That's a dirty way of playing. Don't tease someone like that."

"Yes, yes, sorry. Want some more while I'm still holing it up?" he said with a calm smile. Clearly he wasn't going to try anything sexy and Nami pouted as she brought her lips closer to the straw he held for her. Before she had a chance to swallow the next amount of smoothie, Sanji leaned in and opened her lips with his and literally sucked at the contents in her mouth.

Nami's squeal of surprise was muffled as Sanji pressed his mouth into hers more and began scooping out what he failed to suck out earlier with his tongue. A few drips of liquid began to trickle down the sides of her lips and down her neck. It was weird, it was a little gross, it was difficult, but it was sexy. She could taste the faint menthol from his cigarettes as his tongue explored her mouth and glided over her teeth when he was finished.

Nami was utterly speechless as Sanji licked her lower lip and pulled away.

"That's a dirty way of playing again." she mumbled.

"I know. But it can get dirtier if you want." he said with a mischievous smile across his lips.

What was with Sanji today? He was practically pouring out sexy vibes. He didn't seem like his usual self but who was Nami to complain? This type of Sanji was exciting.

Nami said nothing as Sanji laced his fingers with hers and began walking to his car. He was definitely playing dirty but Nami figured she could too. As they both entered the vehicle, Nami purposely waited for Sanji to start the car before she said anything. She wanted to time things perfectly.

Upon reaching a red light she reached over to Sanji and trailed her fingers across the top of his thigh and towards his member. Each time she would get too close to touching it, she would pull away and it was definitely a turn on.

"Nami, that's not nice. _Don't tease someone like that._" he said, trying to quote her. His breath hitched when her finger barely grazed his member. She stopped touching him as the light turned green but at another red light she did the same thing. This time she looked to him lustfully and spoke with a playful tone.

"Sanji...?"

"Hm?"

She suddenly withdrew her hand and with a suddenly bubbly personality she asked, "Who was that guy earlier?"

"Hey, now that's really playing dirty Nami."

Nami only giggled and asked the again, "So? Who was he?"

Sanji groaned at the sudden curiosity she had. He didn't want to even talk about him when he was thinking about Nami's hands, but he couldn't hide anything from her unless he wanted a war to rage out.

"That _thing's_name is Duval."

"Now now, aren't your being a little mean? I'll admit he was extremely weird and over the top but you don't need to call him a 'thing'." she giggled.

"I can and I shall."

"Is he a friend?"

"Thank god no…"

"Customer?"

"Nope."

"Relative?"

"Unfortunately. What gave it away?"

"There weren't any other choices and he had curls at the ends of his eyebrows. He reminded me of you back in high school only he was too full of himself and just plain fucking scary. You were much more sweet and delicate about things and very, very _'handsome'_." Nami purposely said, mimicking Duval.

"Nami I love it when you call me handsome but please don't use that tone." he pleaded with a shudder.

"Why not? It's _'rosy'_." She said, used the same emphasis Duval had used as well. She giggled as she watched Sanji shudder even more with a sour look on his face.

"Oh god…" he muttered.

After a good ten minutes of using 'handsome' and 'rosy' to her heart's content, they finally reached her apartment and headed out. Nami was beaming with a sullen Sanji a couple of feet behind her.

She skipped her way up the steps and into her front door and froze in her spot. She wasn't sure if she was hallucinating so she blinked for a bit, then rubbed her eyes, and then blinked again. Then she backed up and closed the door and entered again to see the same scene before her.

A shirtless Robin and Zoro stood pressed against the wall of the doorway and they were frozen as well. Robin's legs were propped up against Zoro's waist, Zoro's strong arms were holding her up, and mortified expressions filled their faces. Nami instinctively closed her eyes and walked right passed them muttering, "Sorry for the intrusion", and safely made it behind her door.

_'So awkward!'_she thought.

Nami soon heard a shouting Sanji and Zoro going at each other.

"MARIMO! HOW INDECENT CAN YOU BE? SHE'S A LADY! You're so shameful."

"Shameful? Oi, watch what your saying! I didn't say anything about you and Nami trying to _get it on_in the kitchen!"

"Yes you did! Don't tell me your brain cells have finally diminished after all of that booze you-"

Nami didn't like the way the conversation was going and it was loud. She still wanted to take a nap so she did what she had done earlier to drain Sanji's energy. She jumped into the hall and shouted towards Sanij.

"Hey _'handsome'_ there's no need to shout. Life is too _'rosy'_for such noise!"

Zoro looked at Nami as if she were some sort of alien while Robin didn't know what to make of her. The emphasis was completely weird. Nami mentally slapped herself at how disturbing she sounded when it wasn't just her and Sanji.

"Are you high or something?" accused Zoro.

Sanji slumped over and began pleading to Nami as he dragged his feet towards her.

"Please, I beg you. No more imitations. It's too creepy."

"I shall make it up to you. So come hither." she said as she walked back into her room, giving Robin an apologetic yet knowing smile.

* * *

"Sanji…?" she sighed

"Hmm?" he hummed

"Do you have to go back to work tonight?"

"Nope." he smiled. He wrapped his arm around Nami and pulled her closer across her bed sheets and began playing with her hair.

"Do you want to sleep over?"

"I don't have any clothes." he said as he inhaled Nami's scent. She always had the faint, sweet scent of oranges that lingered on her. Even though her shampoo was a mango and pomegranate mix, somehow she always smelled like sweet oranges.

"Can I sleep over?" she asked sweetly.

Sanji sighed and gave the idea some thought. He wasn't opposed to Nami sleeping over but he wasn't sure if he could keep his hands off of her. Now that they finally reached the intimate part of their relationship he felt like wanting to do everything from just looking at her. He needed to keep a little bit of distance, just until she was feeling better and took an interest. He still wanted to take things slow with her and get her used to the idea of touching and just the over all basics. But being near her made him want to skip the basics and throw her into the hot pot of love.

"Next time."

"When might that be?"

"When you can walk properly."

"Why? It's not like we're going to do it again anytime soon."

"I don't know Nami. I feel extra _hungry_ around you now. I might just _eat you up_."

The way Sanji spoke about it sent chills down Nami's spine. She didn't dislike the idea at all but even she could understand the undertone of his message. But she didn't want to not have sex. It felt like a drug and she was definitely getting addicted to the thought and wants of it - with Sanji that is.

She lifted her leg over Sanji's hip and kissed against his jaw line.

"Please? I'll behave myself."

"Really? Then what do you call this?" He said, as he lightly poked her thigh with his finger.

"I'll be good, I promise." she whined

"But I probably won't." he chuckled.

"I can turn you off in an instant." she interjected.

"How so?" Sanji said with an eyebrow raised.

"I have a few magical incantations I can use from the D. Scrolls."

"D. Scrolls?" Sanji was amused at how much she was pushing to sleep over.

"Yes, the D. Scrolls."

"Really now? And might I inquire what they contain?"

"I already told you, incantations."

"Ok, then may I hear the incantations?"

"Nope." she said, suppressing a giggle. "You shall not listen to them prior to the moment of the actual chant. It could be, scarring."

"Scarring? Then wouldn't there be an 'incantation' to un-scar me?"

"Oh yes indeed. But I can only use it when I'm _in the mood_." she giggled.

Sanji turned Nami onto her back and kissed against her neck with light nips and sucks.

"Well now I'm _in 'the mood'_." he said in a low, husky voice.

Nami let him kiss and suck away at her neck and let him unbutton her blouse in a slow, agonizing motion.

"Sa-nji" her voice hitched as he pressed himself in between her legs. Sanji really wasn't joking when he said he was hungry. It was torture due to how great he felt against her so she decided to pull out her magical weapon.

"Sanji, this is really _'rosy'_."

Sanji immediately stopped what he was doing and let his head fall against her chest in defeat. It was so creepy hearing it leave her lips and it was definitely a turn off.

"Magical incantation?" he said with a depressed tone.

"Yup." she giggled. "So its decided. I'm sleeping over."

* * *

**A/N: hey guys, thanks for waiting patiently. I had some free time today and wrote this before I took my nap. Studying is a bitch and this really helps me keep my sanity haha. If you are interested, I have a Naruo fanfiction up as well titled "Home".**

**Here is the summary. **  
**Everyone has a past and a dark secret they want to hide. When Sakura finally escapes the hellhole of what should have been a home, with her interesting abilities, she gets caught stealing at a diner by 3 very interesting men. How will things unfold? Modern Day AU with abilities and chakra. Some GenmaxSakura and YamatoxSakura fluff. Mainly KakashixSakura Rated M for future content**

**If you like SakuraxKakashi, please check it out and R&R. I'll be doing both fanfics at the same time when, i have time. For sure, after august 18, i will post a lot more chapters for both more frequently since I won't be busy so hang in there everyone!**


	23. Bad luck and unforseen events

**Friday, August 9 2:15pm**

Nami sat across from Robin with disbelief written all over her face.

"What?" she asked. Her voice came out raspy.

Robin cradled the coffee mug between her hands and eyed it like it was the only comfort source she had.

"Nami, I have no idea what I'm supposed to do…" Robin sighed.

Robin's eyes were crestfallen though she tried to play a smile. This intelligent, caring, and very kind woman who sat in front of Nami seemed quiet unsure of herself for the first time. It was a strange site to see. Nami wasn't sure what to say and blurted the first thing that came to her mind.

"Please tell me it's his…" she joked. Nami wasn't sure what she was saying to Robin. How could she ask for something like that? How could she try to sound like she was joking in this sort of situation? She sounded completely insensitive.

"I don't think so Nami…" Robin quietly deadpanned. Her face still showing her worry.

"Robin this is serious. Does he know?"

"I haven't said anything…"

"How long have you known about it?"

"…about a month…" Robin hesitantly replied.

Robin's hesitance was definitely weird to see but it only proved she was human like everyone else. She was capable of feeling even the slightest bit of fear and worry for situations such as these.

"Robin, you need to talk to him about this."

"He's been a little busy with baseball training and I don't want to bother him about it."

Nami blinked a bit in surprise and looked towards her best friend. When did she get so out of the loop with Robin? Its been about almost a month since her and Sanji became an official couple and Robin was always there for her when she complained. Nami knew she felt like something was missing in her life but she couldn't realize it until today, when she saw Robin lost in thought at the little kitchen table they shared. Nami felt guilty. Robin had been dealing with this thought for a month and Nami never noticed.

"Robin, I'm sorry I didn't notice. I was so wrapped up in Sanji and-"

"Nami don't be sorry. Your relationship is still fresh with Sanji. You need that little space with him."

"No I don't. Sanji would understand if you needed me or if I didn't want to see him. You should have said something to me. But I'm at fault for not even noticing your concerns."

"Nami, it's fine. Really. Besides, I think it happens at least once in your life that you find another woman's underwear in your boyfriends room… I just didn't think I'd be the sucker to find two."

"You are not a sucker! Where is that jackass? I'll tear him limb from limb! Just why the fuck are another woman's underwear in there? And two no less? Where did you find it again? Between the desk and the trash bin? Trying to throw away the evidence and failed? I'm going to punch him so hard that even the toughest, strongest, man in the world would cry." Nami growled.

Robin giggled at Nami's reaction. She certainly hasn't change but she seemed a little different.

"You remind me a little of Sanji." Robin giggled. "They do say couples tend to rub off on one another or pick up each others habits."

"No way. I haven't been with Sanji long enough for that to happen. This is pure concern for my best friend." Nami huffed.

A real smile and a relaxed expression came to Robin's face, purely out of appreciation and love for her feisty, best friend. While Robin was more reserved, Nami was the firecracker that seemed to give her even more confidence and reassurance in herself. Not that Robin wasn't confident, but there was always something about Nami's energy that felt warm and pulled Robin in for more confidence. And it was there that she realized she had missed Nami too much. Two years was painful but after being reunited, and then having her and Sanji get into a relationship, it made her feel really lonely. But her issues were pressed aside just from Nami's presence, conversation, and show of concern.

Robin and Nami had been talking longer about finding another woman's underwear in Zoro's room. Both positions seemed really suspicious. It was obvious Zoro tried to throw away one pair, and missed, and the second pair raised alarming questions. It was found between the head of his mattress and his headboard. He slept with another woman and didn't even clean out his room. It would have seemed like they were Robin's considering they were the same size and the style seemed like it would be hers, and she has left a few behind, but those were definitely not hers. She only came across them when Zoro was looking around his apartment for his bandana. Robin was in charge of searching the room while Zoro searched everywhere else and Robin just so happened to stumble upon both unfamiliar articles of clothing.

Robin cleared her throat and looked to Nami, this time more serious.

"Nami, there's something else that I'm stuck on… and I'm really unsure about this… Well, I mean I'm thinking nothing but the positives about it, but I'm unsure on how to go about it..."

"You're not pregnant are you?" Nami joked.

Robin gave a surprised look and then flashed a sheepish smile. Surely that wasn't supposed to the first guess and she knew Nami meant it as a joke, but that sure as hell was the surprise topic of focus now. Nami's expression was a mixture of surprise, excitement, and concern and Robin couldn't gauge her emotions at all.

"No way! Really?" Nami squealed.

Robin only nodded in response. She didn't know what to say at Nami's reaction.

"Congratulations! Oh wait…do you want it to be 'congratulations'? Last time I congratulated someone they screamed at me, telling me it was nothing to congratulate…"

Robin didn't know what to say. Nami's enthusiasm was really something. Surely she thought Nami would question her, of course in a concerned way first, before showing any hint of excitement. With nothing else to say Robin nodded and gave a soft smile.

"I'm definitely going to be the godmother." Nami grinned. But shortly after, her tone became curious as she continued to speak. "So Zoro doesn't know yet?"

Robin exhaled the breath she had been holding and spoke in a calm manner.

"He doesn't. Which is why I'm unsure on how to go about things. If he is sleeping with another woman, things would just get complicated between us. Even if he wasn't, it would still be complicated. A baby changes everything and I just don't know how he'll take it. We have talked about living together but this... Would he man up or man down? I don't want his reasons for moving in together to be based on a baby. What if things don't work out in the future between us? Plus, we're still young."

"Robin, stop right there. There is no way Zoro would man down to something like this. There was a bond between the two of you before you started seeing one another and its still there. Even if it doesn't work out romantically, he still holds the utmost respect for you and would do his best as a man and as a father. Besides I can see him trying to teach the kid about swords and baseball."

Robin listened to Nami's reassuring words and felt as if her uneasiness were nothing but a blow of the wind. She spoke very good points about Zoro that were true and Robin was very grateful to hear it. It was a reassurance she needed to try and tell Zoro.

"Hey, Robin, how far along are you?"

"About two months…"

"Ah ok I see two…TWO MONTHS?" Nami gasped. "Woah! When did this happen? Summer session started three months ago! And didn't we go to that new bar about two months ago? Was it that night? Was it after that? Seriously how often do you two have sex? I've heard enough late night and early morning sessions but what about when I'm not around? Are you trying to create enough friction to cause human combustion?"

"Well there was a lot of _heat_ if I do say so myself." Robin giggled.

A brief silence of contemplating Robin's words set Nami into a laughing streak and Robin followed along. It was a good, long laugh based on that sentence but Nami still spoke in curiosity.

"Were you on birth control? Condoms?"

"Both. These things just, happen."

"Are you going to keep it?"

"I said I was thinking nothing but the positives didn't I?" Robin mused.

"Ok, so regardless of what happens between you and Zoro, you're going through with it?"

"Yes."

"What about school?"

"What about it?" Robin asked curiously.

"Robin, you need to think about this carefully. You said so yourself a baby changes everything. I'll definitely stick with you and help you every step of the way but what about school? Are you opting for online courses? Are you going to sit in a lecture with other people? What about the archeology department? Don't you need to study abroad for digs and stuff? I don't mind helping you out by looking after your child, seeing as though I will be the godmother, but how long are those study abroad digs? Please tell me you're not planning on dropping out. Also, how long have you known you were pregnant? If you knew about the panties in Zoro's room for a month, and didn't say a word to anyone, then what about this? What about your job? What about-"

"Ok slow down Nami. First, archeology is a branch of Anthropology and it isn't just about digging and bones. It can be split into different fields of study. I'm going into historical archaeology and unknown linguistics. I won't need to travel until after I get my degree should a job offer arise but I would mainly stay in an office or lab here. About class, I suppose since I'm two months along, it would make sense to pick online courses in case moving around would get too "difficult", but I have no shame in attending my classes either. I've seen quite a lot of pregnant upperclassmen on the eastern and northern wings of the university and if they can do it so can I. As for knowing about the pregnancy, I'd say about a week now. I went in for my latest drug test for work and I heard the shocking word, "congratulations". My doctor and I, scheduled for further examination that day and, well...tada…"

Nami nodded as she listened carefully to Robin's words. She really did seem to have things set and seemed confident about her decision. Regardless of how uneasy Robin felt about her and Zoro, she was more than ready and confident to take on the responsibilities of a mother. Robin's true self was showing once more. A calm, determined, strong woman with a great personality that anyone could love. But Nami still had some nagging little questions that kept pushing to the surface.

"What about your job? You still didn't answer that."

"I'm full time so I have insurance and maternity leave."

"Wait, where do you work? Now that I think about it, you've never told me where you worked."

"Really? I thought I did. Well you know-"

Crash. Thump. Shatter. Nami and Robin shot a look of worry about where the sudden sound came from. It sounded like the neighbors upstairs were fighting. The loud, thunderous shouts of men then began to barrage the whole apartment. But who lived upstairs again? Two, very tall, overweight, yet overly muscled men, right? The Giants, Nami referred to them as. How ironic they were her neighbors considering Nami and Robin were two very thin women who seemed very small and petite towards them. But that didn't matter. What mattered was the noise. What were they arguing about? They were never loud and were actually quite pleasant people to live near and to talk to.

Suddenly the crashes, thumps, and thrashing sounds grew louder. Nami didn't want to stay around in case they came downstairs and somehow brought the fight onto their doorstep. So she grabbed Robin's hand and led her out of the apartment. Obviously if something was going down, she didn't want to be around - especially with a pregnant Robin.

They made their way outside and looked to the apartment above theirs, wondering what was going on. It wasn't normal for Nami or Robin to be nosy but this was too weird to not wonder. But it wasn't just Nami and Robin that looked. People from across the street and adjoining apartments came out to look in. Apparently the scuffle was really loud and caught everyone's attention. Wanting to see more, Nami and Robin walked to the other side of the street to relieve the craning of their necks and to get a better view inside the apartment.

Without a second to process the situation further, a loud rumbling and crashing sounded off and soon, Nami saw the windows of her apartment blow out, with dust and all sorts of debris flying out. A few bystanders shouted or screamed as wood and glass flew their way. Nami had felt something hit her cheek but didn't think much of it as she stared in stupor at her apartment. The first thing she did was look at Robin, who gaped at the blown windows of their apartments, and then looked back.

"What just happened?" shouted a man who stood not too far from them.

"Shouldn't someone call the police or the fire department?" shouted another man.

Did the building just collapse? There was no way! Nami had always joked with Robin that the guys upstairs would be the death of them but never actually considered it until now. What would have happened if they didn't leave the apartment? Nami trembled at the thought of what could have been and looked to Robin again. Robin wore the same expression as Nami's and her color seemed to have changed to a ghostly shade. It was obvious Robin thought of the same, 'what would have happened…' questions Nami thought of, and she too began to tremble.

Robin finally looked to Nami and the first words out of her mouth were, "Nami, you're bleeding!"

Nami thought about it for a moment and remembered something had hit her cheek not too long ago. Robin, shakily, took out her smart phone from her pocket and quickly took a picture and showed it to Nami - who gawked at the image. There was a good slice across her right cheek and Nami was shocked. It was a clean, slightly deep, cut from something that flew out of the windows. If the cut was lower it could have slit her neck. If the cut was higher, she could have turned into Zoro and started a gang of people with eye scars.

* * *

Nami had finished talking to the police officer who clearly didn't want to entertain her. She had only asked a few questions regarding when it might be safe for her to enter and gather her things and whether or not the vicinity of the crash was through the whole house.

"Mam, you'll have to take that up with the safety inspector tomorrow. Right now we're trying to focus our efforts on the two men inside."

"I understand that but I can use the little patio that leads into my room to get my things and my roommates'-"

"Mam, I already gave you all the information you need! You may meet the safety officer tomorrow morning at seven! Please leave or I will have you escorted!" the policeman growled.

Nami stomped off towards Robin and gave her an angry, desperate look. Robin knew just what that look meant and sighed in disappointment. They wanted to know about retrieving their things as soon as possible but obviously that was a bust. Robin pulled out her cell phone and called Zoro but no answer, so she left a text. She tried Luffy's and it was the same. Then she called Sanji's phone and surprisingly it went straight to voicemail. Nami raised an eyebrow because she knew Sanji was off tonight but she didn't say anything about it. Franky, Usopp and Brook were still on their little vacation and wouldn't be back for another week so finally she called Chopper.

"Chopper? Where are you?" Robin asked sweetly as she pressed the button for the speaker phone option.

"_I'm in my dorm. Why?"_ he asked

"Something happened and Nami and I need to relax a little. Is it ok if we visit?"

"_I don't mind. Are you guys ok?"_

"We're fine. We'll tell you about it when we get there."

"_Yay company! This will be fun! A bunch of smart people in a room! I have trivia card games and a jeopardy board game we could play!"_

Nami giggled hearing Chopper's excitement. Trivia card games and a jeopardy board game; it seemed like such a Chopper thing to have. He always was smart and eager to learn things but Nami didn't think he would have these types of games. She figured he made more rumble ball supplements and vitamins for fun since it was all he loved doing in high school.

Robin laughed earnestly and spoke, "Ok then. We'll meet you in about fifteen minutes."

* * *

"Hello!" sang Chopper as he opened the door wide to let Nami and Robin enter. His excited grin turned into a frown when he saw Nami's cheek and immediately wailed. "Nami! What happened to your cheek?"

"Ah don't worry about it. Can I borrow your first aide kit?" Nami said, as she sheepishly smiled and placed a hand over her cheek.

Chopper let them in and called to someone in the bathroom.

"Law, bring the first aide kit out!"

Law? Nami and Robin looked at one another and back to Chopper. What was Law doing there? As much as they didn't mind him hanging around Chopper, wasn't it too convenient that Brook was away with Franky and Usopp? Law could try to devour their little friend.

Law exited the restroom with the first aide kit and a curious look on his face until he noticed Nami. He handed the kit to Chopper and spoke.

"Your face looks like shit." Law joked.

"Is that how you greet someone? Especially after they-" she sneered but was cut off

"What happened?" Law interjected, as he moved in closer to look at her cheek.

Robin sat down next to Chopper, who was digging through the outrageously large container that could have opened up a miniature clinic. It was filled with everything you would see in an ambulance and Nami wondered when or how Chopper was able to get these things.

Nami walked passed Law and sat on the bed across from Chopper's. It obviously belonged to Brook as the black blanket held white music notes with pillows covered in matching pillow cases. Nami took a look around the room and noticed how nice it actually was. The room was quite large and probably could have fit everyone in the group. Maybe she should have lived in the dorms since it was included in her scholarship.

Upon entering the room there is a cabinet against the wall for shoes and umbrellas. When you walk further inside, on your left was a door that lead to the bathroom. Next to that door was a simple, dark wood, standing closet with drawers attached to the bottom, and to the right of that, was a large, matching desk with a surprising amount of space and cubbies attached to it. Lastly, between the desk and the wall, was Chopper's bed. It was a single, but it was oddly longer and wider than a normal single. Right across the room was a mirror image, despite the different colored bed sheets, and in the center of the room, between the beds, was a sliding glass door that led to a small balcony. It was way too nice looking from the dorms Nami had seen on tv or images of other schools.

Nami's attention turned towards the door that stood across from the bathroom and wondered what could have been there. Another closet? Could be. It was a dorm room after all. Nami's attention was brought back to reality as Law asked her again, snapping his fingers in front of her face.

"What happened?"

"Oh you know freak accident. Some guy pulled out a pocket knife and made a jab at my face." she said nonchalantly.

Chopper, being the worry wart he was from time to time, began to wail. "Nami that's awful! Did you get hurt anywhere else? Did you get a good look at his face? Where were you? There should be video cameras around so maybe they could identify the guy!"

Nami smiled at Chopper and felt a little guilty for the fib, but it was cute seeing him getting worked up over her. She then added to the fib to change Chopper's mood into something cute and excited.

"It's fine Chopper, don't worry about it. I dodged the blade and beat the guy up in less than a minute. I know how to beat a few bad guys here and there with my super amazing kung fu skills." Nami said, as she pulled her hands up in a mock, kung fu stance.

Chopper's face lit up with excitement and it was just too cute for Nami.

"Kung fu!"

"Yes, kung fu."

"Really?"

"Really."

"No way!"

"Way."

"Amazing!"

"Yup, I'm pretty amazing." she grinned.

"She's joking Chopper." Law said bluntly, as he grabbed at the items Chopper had pulled from the first aid kit.

"Awe man, you're no fun!" Nami pouted

"Really?" Chopper asked in disappointment.

"Yup." Nami laughed.

"Maaan, why did you do that!" Chopper complained as he jumped to his feet.

"Cause it was cute to see your excited face and its easy to get you excited." she grinned. "So? Who is fixing my face?"

Chopper and Law glanced at one another and back to Nami, staring intently at the cut and began muttering to one another. She felt like she was some sort of experimental guinea pig as the two spoke about clean cuts, ointments, stitches, and scarring. Scars. Nami didn't like the word and a scar definitely wouldn't look good on her face. She spoke nonchalantly, but eyed Chopper and Law with evil intent.

"Gee, I hope this doesn't scar. I don't do scars. If my face gets ugly then I might have to cut the guy who fixed my cheek." Nami smiled.

Her smile was anything but nice and Chopper felt chills run down his spine. He remembered an event that happened in high school that made Nami so mad, he escaped with some crazy bruises that lasted longer than they should have. At least she took pity upon him, instead of Luffy and the rest. Swollen faces, bruises, cut lips, deep scratches, and more. Chopper was more than confident in his skills but just for safety measures he was going to use Law.

"Law, you're my senior and you have much more experience. I'd love to see your handy work." Chopper said nervously, as he pushed Law closer to Nami.

"Hey, no way! You're like her little brother, she would be much more comfortable with you. Besides I'm pretty sure you do better work than I do 'child prodigy'." Law said, hoping to coax Chopper into a flattered mood so he would do it instead.

"No really I insist! It's a great opportunity to learn from a surgeon in the making."

Back and forth, they tried to get one another into fixing Nami's cheek when an idea came to Chopper's mind. "Ah Nami, why do we go to the hospital and-"

"No. I don't trust anyone of them and I don't have insurance." she said flatly.

A moment of silence flushed the room and Robin did nothing but smile as she waited for the outcome. Someone was going to get hit one way or another and she giggled at the thought.

Chopper swallowed the fear and uneasiness rather quickly and with a professional attitude, moved in closer and spoke to Nami.

"Ok, I'll do it. If we wait any longer it'll get infected and that will definitely cause a scar. Law, you're the nurse." Chopper said, as he gently held Nami's chin and lightly turned her face to see more of her cheek.

"What? Hell no, I'll assist and oversee the procedure as a fellow colleague but not as a nurse. Don't you dare patronize your adults kid."

Chopper ignored Law and went straight to washing his hands in the bathroom before putting on a pair of blue, latex gloves. Law followed the same course and slipped on his gloves with a loud slap.

Law pulled the rolling chair from Brook's desk with his foot and urged Nami to sit there and turn on the lamp. The room was nicely lit but the lamp just provided extra light.

"Hey, are there any local anesthetics left in the kit?" Chopper asked, as he turned to look at Law.

"Nope. You need to restock."

Chopper clicked his tongue and looked to Nami with confident eyes and an expression that caught her off guard. Chopper wasn't that adorable little kid she knew anymore and was a focused, handsome man. His round eyes looked gentle but very analytical and full of wonder.

"Fair warning, its going to hurt." Chopper exhaled. "So don't beat me up later."

Wow. This was a total personality change for Chopper. He was cool, calm, collected, and something about him seemed suave. Under his intense gaze and adult like demeanor, Nami really felt pride well up in her. Her little Chopper, was a man. Even if he didn't show it on a daily basis. He was definitely going to go places with that brain and skill of his and this change of attitude was proof enough that this was his calling.

Nami nodded and let Chopper dab a strange brown liquid against her cheek with a scent that made her scrunch her nose in pain and in disgust. The smell was potent. Like a mix of ammonia, vinegar, and metal crashing in to one another. It made her nose feel cold on the inside, almost as if she were about to have a nose bleed.

"Sorry, betadine stinks but bear with it." Chopper said as he handed what looked like long metal tweezers and a soaked, brown cotton ball to Law, and made a simple statement while holding out his hand. "Benzoin."

Law didn't say anything as he handed everything swiftly and precisely to Chopper's calls. They had a good rhythm with one another and it made Nami feel good that it was Law who took an interest in Chopper; though she still didn't know if Chopper liked women or men. Her nose then caught a whiff of something new and sweet. It smelled like vanilla and eagerly sniffed it in, hoping to erase the last scent from her nose.

"Smells better right? Chopper asked and Nami only hummed in response.

It finally came to the point where she saw the surgical needle and thread inching closer to her face. When she felt the pricking of the needle on her cheek, she winced and averted her gaze.

"I told you it was going to hurt." Chopped exhaled as he kept working. "Just hold on for a bit."

It was painful as she felt the soft pulling and pressing against her skin. Had there been a numbing agent she could imagine the procedure going by so fast you wouldn't have time to blink. But Chopper was still quick and skillful, doing his best to do a proper job and trying to not cause as much pain. In no time at all he was done and began to shed his gloves as he made his way to the bathroom.

"Carry out the ending procedures nurse!" Chopper called while turning on the water to wash his hands.

"I'm not a nurse." Law growled under his breath.

Law gently covered the new set of stitches on her cheek with gauze and medical tape as he spoke.

"Keep it clean with water and antibacterial soap. Don't rub it or scrub it. Instead, wet the area and apply a small amount of soap. Let the soap sit on the wound for a minute or two and rinse it all off to get rid of the dirt and germs. Don't play, pull, or scratch at your stitches either or you'll make things troublesome for us. Its a dissolving type of suture so in a few weeks it'll wither off or absorb into the skin."

Law grabbed a pack of gauze and a small roll of medical tape and handed it to her and continued to speak.

"Keep it covered and keep it moist with antibacterial cream…which is not in here..." muttered as he noticed there was no cream.

"Oi, you're out of anti bacterial cream too!" Law shouted.

Nami and Robin could hear Chopper whine and shuffle through cupboards. Not having pieces of equipment bothered Chopper and he often whined or complained he was a bad doctor for not having everything in full stock.

"If it starts swelling, despite my instructions, tell us and we're going to a hospital. And lastly, watch for signs of infections. It could contribute to a scar and considering that its on the face, you could get sick a little faster than you would if it were on your arm. If you start developing a cold or flu don't hesitate in saying anything."

Law shed his gloves and went to wash his hands as Chopper came out shouting, "I knew I had more local anesthetics! Wow Nami, you are so cool! You let me give you stitches on a sensitive part of the body and withstood the pain. You're a trooper!"

Nami, feeling upset that he didn't check in the first place, stood up and knocked him on the head, leaving a lovely size bump and an tearing Chopper.

"Chopper, you let me suck it up when you had something to numb the pain, stashed away? Do you know how-"

"Oh! Would you look at that! We don't have any snacks! I'm going to run to the corner store!" he shouted in fear. He made a dash for his wallet and his phone and ran like the wind.

* * *

"So that's what happened. Well, if the building was there for a long time, its not surprising that the ceiling would have fallen apart. When you have something heavy, making a focal point dead center of a room, the wood was bound to crack or fall through. But your apartment didn't look really old, and didn't I think it was possible for two people to make the floor crumble before them without extra help, so doesn't that prove how bad the support and over all structure was?"

"I suppose but the house was renovated so the support on the floorboards should have been stable." Robin interjected.

"Not necessarily, the renovations could have only been in your apartment and not the one upstairs. An home inspector would have pointed it out if he took a look at both apartments. They're owned by the same person right?"

"Yes a family friend of mine. I don't think he would have let us rent it if he knew there were issues with the floors from the apartment upstairs. He's too nice and caring to cheat someone like that." Robin answered.

"Who knows. All sorts of things play as a factor to the crumbling. The only other explanation I can come to is the size of your neighbors. They would have had to be pretty big and had a lot of heavy things in their apartment. If the floor and support was indeed, extremely poor, then it would make sense that it'd cave in. It also makes sense if they had been living upstairs for a long time and over the years they really caused wear and tear before you two moved in. But those are just my guesses."

Nami and Robin sighed. Law had a point and his guess was strangely correct. He had never met their neighbors so it was a crazy, spot on guess. There was no use arguing about their situation as he continued to speak.

"So, what are your options? Boyfriends?"

"Haven't spoken to them yet." Nami blurted.

"Really? That's surprising given the fact that the two of you are swamped with them."

"Zoro has practice and Sanji is probably busy with work. We'll find out what happens later." Robin politely added.

"I see…"

Still feeling curious, Nami looked towards Law and examined him from head to toe. His presence wasn't odd but it was...ok it was odd. She knew Law and Chopper were becoming friends but she didn't think they were close enough for him to invite Law over. Did Law invite himself over?

"Hey, let me ask you this, what are _you_ doing here?" Nami asked as she pointed a finger to Law.

"I had to maintain my image."

Robin and Nami gave him a very dirty look and were about to blast off on him. Law already had an image. He didn't need to maintain it. It seemed too suspicious how he nonchalantly said 'I had to maintain my image'. If he was serious about Chopper then why was he still going around sleeping with women? Law could see and feel the immanent danger that was about to approach him and spoke up before they could.

"Listen first! I have a friend who lives in the dorms and she knows my _situation_. We joke around and shit, make a few disturbing noises or blast the volume on a dirty movie, mess up each others hair and crap like that. No one would give a second thought considering her daily attire, brash attitude, and an 'image' just as bad as mine."

Nami eyed Law carefully as she began to speak in a skeptical tone.

"Then what are you doing here? I didn't think you two were close enough just yet considering how you keep him at a distance."

"I keep a distance because you said I can't touch him and I can't influence him. I'm his friend but if I try to make our friendship closer, he'll pick up on things or habits of mine and then you'll blame me for not letting him discover himself first. There's only so much I can do you know."

"Ok, sorry about that. I didn't mean to upset you and you're right." Nami said as she gave him an apologetic smile.

"But I am still curious, for your reasons of being here. Is it ok to ask why?" Robin asked gently.

Law sighed and grabbed a folder from his messenger bag that was on the floor. He pulled out sheets of papers that were stapled together and handed it to Robin.

"An internship?" Robin asked as she read through the papers.

"Chopper wanted a job and I've been doing the same thing at a hospital nearby for a while. Basically he's being thrown into the shark tank for upcoming doctors while he gets paid a decent paycheck. He already has the knowledge, he just needs the clinical experience. He'll receive academic recognition and what he learns there will knock off a few classes or years at the university depending on how long he stays and how many departments he decides to study under or conquer. I was going to give it to him after I met with my friend and surprisingly he called my cell telling me to come over for board games."

"Now this doesn't make much sense…I clearly remember everything you told me the day we had breakfast together. When I asked you your year and major you said and I quote: "Junior. The program changed a little when I was on vacation. So I'm stuck taking a few extra per-requisite courses." Explain yourself."

"I am taking classes that were added on when I was gone, but I lied about being a junior. I was, technically considered done with school. I'm only attending the last bits that are required for my degree and then I'm done."

"That bullshit." Nami scoffed. "You need four years of college and then another four years of medical school. Next you're going to tell me you're not twenty five?" she barked. She didn't like the fact that Law lied to her and the 'momma lion' inside her was baring her teeth, roaring, and getting ready to pounce for the kill.

"I am twenty five. Nami I just said I've been in the program I was going to offer Chopper. I've received academic recognition and I was able to knock off a lot of years doing this. I've been in this program for almost five years now and I'm already working on my residency. Wanna see my license? I have proof, including proper documents and academic overrides. As of this Fall I'm joining a new department that focuses on nothing but surgical procedures and invasive operations."

"That still sounds like a bunch of-"

"This is NW city Nami. The city where the impossible is possible and everything is vast here. Education is better, opportunities are better, and life here just seems too good to be true."

Nami opened her mouth but closed it as she absorbed Law's information. Law was probably right. There were countless rumors about people graduating and becoming the best of the best from this place; some at much faster paces than others. She was stumped. She was getting hissy for Chopper's sake and didn't want to admit she was in the wrong for not listening.

"Well isn't that nice. Maybe I should consult with my department on options for graduating faster." Robin chuckled.

Nami didn't say anything as she eyed Law very carefully.

"Nami, I'm sorry I lied but what would you have said to me if I told you I'm practically done with school? That I want to get very close to the most innocent and easily swayed person, who you think of as a little brother, in your group, then eventually make him feel unwanted when I get busy with the hospital? You would have flat out said 'no' if it meant keeping him a safety bubble physically and emotionally."

Nami huffed and crossed her arms. She was being ridiculous, she knew that, but Law was right, again. If he was honest from the start she wouldn't have let him get close to Chopper at all. Chopper had a good head on his shoulders and a great head-start despite his age. If there was a chance that Law could influence Chopper to stop going to school, or cause distractions while he worked at fulfilling his dreams, she definitely didn't want to take it.

"So you're going to kidnap Chopper with this program?" Nami asked tiredly.

"You know what I'm offering here Nami, its up for him to decide if he wants the program or not. I'll admit a part of me is using this to get closer to him, but this is also a really great opportunity for him. He has a good head on his shoulders and needs the environment he craves for. He's a smart guy, but smart guys grow tired of things they already know. Where is the challenge? Where is the ever-changing knowledge they crave for? Where is setting they want and need to prove their worth? To show their excellence?"

Nami sighed and raised her arms in defeat. She knew she had no right or say in Chopper's life for something as important as this, but there were still things about Law she couldn't understand or trust. Sure she did consider him as a friend, but she was still always on edge about him too

"Its at a hospital nearby?" she mumbled.

"Yes, but there are departments and specialties that belong to other hospitals. So it depends on where he wants to go and what he wants to study. He'll still be attending school but like I had mentioned earlier, a lot of his classes could be overwritten and knocked out like mine were."

"It better not be a scam Law. You know what I already offered before, but just to remind you -"

"Yes, yes, if I hurt him in any way, I can bet that a knife will come searching for my family jewels and my voice will raise ten octaves higher, I know. I like my family jewels very much so I wouldn't dare think about endangering them. Though I must say I thought you were going to try something just a moment ago."

"As long as you understand…" Nami snorted, and laid herself into Brook's bed.

* * *

The trivia questions kept coming and Nami was losing, with two hundred and thirty points. Law had been struggling just as much with two hundred and forty five points while Robin and Chopper were head to head with an equal standing of two hundred and sixty points.

The game they played was a trivia card game called, "A Thousand and One". The rules were quite simple. Each person rolled a dice, and what ever number they got, they answered a trivia card from a pile designated with the dice number. With the numbers ranging from one to six, it also held a difficulty level appointed in stars. Five stars being the most difficult, and no stars indicating the most simple, all shuffled randomly. The player who rolls the dice is not allowed to read their question, as the answer is printed on the bottom of the card, so the person to their right must read the question for them. Very simple, but Nami and Law weren't so lucky.

"Hey aren't you two cheating somehow?" groaned Law.

"I agree. You guys much be switching the dice or switching you cards somehow…" added Nami.

"Nami the cards in each pile are random. There is no way to cheat." Robin said with a gentle smile and sipped at her soda.

"You guys just have bad luck." joked Chopper, as he nibbled at the pre-packaged cotton candy. "Ah, speaking of bad luck, have you heard from Zoro and Sanji yet?"

Robin shook her head and looked to her phone. It was already seven forty-five in the evening and both her and Nami grew a little worried. The first time they tried calling either men was around two in the afternoon. Zoro normally didn't get out of practice until five-thirty and Robin's suspicions began to roll again. Nami as well wondered about what Sanji had been up to. She knew he was off today but he never answered his phone. They tried again at five and and six but it was the same thing. Its not like either women expected their boyfriends to be at their beck-and-call, but it was weird. What was even weirder was Luffy's lack of a text. He was always sending texts regardless of the topic or moment. You could say, he was addicted to it.

A hotel room was out of the question since their wallets were in their rooms. They would just have to wait it out longer until they came in contact with the safety inspector or their boyfriends. Three missed calls and a text message were more than enough to catch Zoro's attention so she decided not to clutter his phone. In Sanji's case Robin had called once and it went straight to voicemail. The second call came from Nami, using Robin's cell. She had left a polite message stating the current state of affairs and said they were with Chopper at the moment, and left one more after that.

Law looked down towards his watch and then out to the balcony. The sun had set a long time ago and he wondered what Sanji and Zoro could have been doing.

"Nami, Robin, you guys can sleep here tonight if Zoro and Sanji don't respond." offered an eager Chopper. "It'll be like old times!"

Nami and Robin looked to the endearing young man and smiled. Those were the good days. Chopper was the only boy they ever let sleep with them in the same room or join them for sleep-overs. It was really cute how he cuddled against them in his sleep but he was seventeen now. They had yet to gauge his sexual orientation and wondered if a sleep over in the same room was a good idea. What if their presence swayed him into liking women? But then again they were just over thinking things and Chopper was a good person. Even if he discovered he liked women, he wouldn't have done anything to them considering their extremely close friendship and familial feeling. And who were they to refuse? Their apartment was out of commission, their money was blocked away, and their boyfriends were missing in action. What other option did they have?

"If its not a bother to you then-" Robin started, before she was cut off.

"If they don't call by eight you're both coming with me." Law stated flatly.

With confused and surprised looks on their faces, Robin and Nami looked to one another and back to Law, who didn't make eye contact. Did he just offer them his place?


	24. What?

Saturday August 11 1:30pm

Sleeping over at Law's felt weird, as did spending most of the next day with him. He was nice enough to let Nami and Robin crash over and help them retrieve their things, though he complained every bit of the way.

"God this is heavy."

"What the hell is in here?"

"Why are you both packing so much crap?"

On and on he complained, but he still helped them out. He knew better than anyone they needed to take almost everything with them, but it was just in his nature to complain; though he didn't mean much of what he said. The safety officer and the home inspector deemed the building unsafe and would be done in for demolition at the end of the month; which, to Law's understanding, was just pure bad luck for Nami and Robin.

.

.

It was still weird. Nami was sitting in the unfamiliar living room with Robin by her side, who read a magazine. She had seemed completely comfortable in the living room and Nami couldn't understand that. Sure, Law said, "Make yourselves comfortable," the night before, but that wasn't something Nami could do yet. She was appreciative for his generosity, but she just felt very intrusive in his home. Just then, the shrill of Robin's phone filled the room causing both women to jump where they sat in anticipation. Who was calling?

With a smile, yet disappointed gaze, Luffy had been the one to call.

"_Oi! Robin! Where are you? Where is Nami! Are you guys ok?"_ he shouted.

There was no need for using the speaker on the phone considering how quiet the room was, and how loud Luffy was.

"We're fine. We're at Law's right now. Luffy where are you?" she asked calmly, while Nami listened intently.

"_I don't know!" _Luffy laughed out. _"I'm with Hammock though!"_

Hammock? Whose last name was Hammock? Nami wracked her brains, trying to think if this Hammock person was someone she knew, while Robin laughed under her breath.

"I see. I hope you're not doing anything dangerous, wherever you are."

"_I'm not! But what happened? You said there was a problem with your place?"_

Robin, being the kind person she was, simplified the explanation as much she could for Luffy. A long story would have made him fall asleep and she needed him to pay attention.

"_What? Do things like that really happen? Why are you staying at Law's? Where's Zoro and Sanji?"_

"We were hoping you knew. We can't seem to get a hold of them but Law was kind enough to let us stay for a while."

"_That guy, always saving me and now he's saving my friends. He's such a great guy huh? Stay with him until you get a call or something from Zoro or Sanji! I'll try to come back as soon as possible!"_

"Don't worry and please take your time." Robin said reassuringly.

With a few more simple exchange of words, the call had ended, leaving Nami and Robin to their quiet escapade once again. Luffy had finally called them, and as much as they wanted to hear from him, they still felt disappointed. It was almost a whole day since they heard or seen their boyfriends and they had to wonder just what was going on. What if there was an accident? What if there was an affair? What if? What if? What if? These negative thoughts plagued the minds of Nami and Robin. It wasn't normal for them to think this way but something about their situation made them feel like looking on the bright-side wasn't enough.

As another hour passed and Nami found herself nodding off into a gentle slumber when the familiar shrill of a ringtone woke her up. It was special ringtone that only one person on Robin's phone had, which meant one thing. Zoro.

Robin, in a rush, grabbed her phone and answered it.

"Yes?" She coughed out. Trying to sound a bit more calm and collected.

"_Where are both of you? Are you guys safe?" _Zoro gruffed. Something about his attitude, which was very normal, irritated Robin on all ends.

"We're at Law's apartment. Where are you?" She asked calmly.

"_Somehow I ended up in SW City, at least that's what these people are telling me. Are you guys safe?"_

"How did you end up there? Are you alone?" Robin asked, this time a bit more skeptical.

"_I asked if you were safe, why are you not answering? A lot of things happened and no I'm not alone. I'm with some teammates and-"_

"_Zo~ro!" _called a voice in the background. It sounded sweet, and high pitched. And it sounded exactly what Robin had feared, a woman.

A woman was calling to Zoro. The little hairs on the back of Robin's neck stood on end like a cat ready to attack. Zoro was missing for almost twenty four hours and he calls with a woman in the background? Robin's suspicions were running rampant but it took her every being not to lash out on the phone.

"Who is that?" she gritted.

"_Oi! Get off of me woman! Robin, I'll call you when I come back."_

"Can you even find your way back?" she spat. Robin quickly covered her mouth with a hand and her eyes grew wide. She never used tones like this before. She'll admit, she and Zoro argued and had their fair share of scream sessions, but this was an uncharted territory of tones she was using.

"_For the record, my teammates will _escort_ me back since you doubt I can find my way_."

"How long do you think you'll take?"

Zoro huffed and spoke to the same woman in the background who replied with four hours.

"_I'll be there around seven at the latest and you guys can stay with me."_

"It's fine. There's no room over there anyways."

"I can take the couch and you two can take the room."

"Like I said, it's fine. I'll see you when you get back." she stated in annoyance.

"Hey, what's with you? Did I do something?" he growled

"I don't know Zoro. Maybe you did or didn't, I don't know. I'll see you when you get back." she sighed.

"Hey…"

"Hmm?"

"…Love you…"

"…Love you too…I'll see you later Zoro…" she said tiredly.

Just as soon as she got off of the phone she noticed Nami gawking at her. This was a side Nami hadn't seen before. Robin being openly pissy like Nami? For a calm, reserved woman like Robin, this type of tone and attitude would make anyone's jaw drop.

"Hey, don't you think you were a little…I dunno…bitchy just now?" Nami asked.

"I don't know…" Robin sighed, as she placed her phone beside her and pressed her back into the couch.

"So…you could have stayed with Zoro…"

"…I don't even know if I want to right now…I'm just being silly and I'm over thinking things…"

"Well you guys can talk about it when you see each other tonight."

"I suppose…"

"Its not, 'I suppose' Robin, its 'I will'."

"…How do you even start a conversation about something like that anyways? 'Hey, I found another woman's underwear in your room. Where did it come from?'. Nami you don't just start topics like that out of the blue."

"Yes you do. Lots of people do. But Robin, just don't beat around the bush about something like this. You're going to kill the bush." Nami joked.

Robin let out a soft laugh and turned her gaze to Nami very lazily. She inhaled deeply and it seemed like she held her breath for a lifetime before exhaling.

"Tonight it is…I guess…"

* * *

That night, Nami didn't bother to stick around to listen to Robin and Zoro's conversation. She thought she'd give them privacy and head back into the spare room she and Robin shared. But upon entering the room, she could hear their conversation clear as day coming from the air vent on the floor. It was hard not to listen as their voices echoed through the room. But something caught her attention which caused her to burst out and rush downstairs.

.

.

**The conversation downstairs**

"So you're not going to stay with me?" Zoro asked with a raised eyebrow.

"There isn't enough space over there and I wouldn't feel comfortable-"

"Where is this coming from? Since when are you not comfortable at my place?" Zoro interjected with a slightly upset tone.

"Its not just your place its Luffy's too."

"But he would be fine if you and Nami stayed with us. Its Luffy we're talking about."

"It's fine. I've already spoken to Law and he's agreed to let us stay until we can find another place."

"What about the dorms?"

"Zoro you know better than I do that there's a long waiting list for a dorm."

"Then just stay with me."

"We're back to this again. Its ok. Don't worry about it."

"I have to worry about it. Especially since you were obviously pissed at me on the phone. Which brings me back to my question from earlier today. Did I do something?" he asked gruffly.

Zoro stared at Robin very sternly, watching her face and her body language, hoping to figure out what she would say or do. She was always upfront about things instead of letting them sit and build up but today was different. Robin eyed Zoro questionably and sipped at the cup of water she had gotten for herself earlier. Why was he staring at her? If anyone should be staring it should have been her.

"Yes and no." she responded flatly.

"Then what is it?"

"…"

"I won't know unless you tell me."

"…I'm just going to be frank about this. Are you cheating?"

"W-What?" Zoro coughed as the look of sheer terror and anger crossed his face.

"Are you cheating?"

"What the fuck? No I'm not cheating. What the hell made you think that?"

"Who was the woman I heard on the phone?"

"That's what you're worried about? She's a teammate. You've never gotten jealous over things like this before so why-"

"Hmm, I wonder. You didn't answer your phone and you seemed to have been missing for almost twenty-four hours. When I finally come in contact with you I hear another woman in the background calling your name a little too sweetly"

"Like I said that was-"

"And what is with you? Letting her hang on you? I'm assuming she was hanging on you when I heard '_Oi! Get off of me woman! Robin, I'll call you when I come back.'. _You sure seemed to be in a hurry to get me off of the phone."

Robin never gave him a chance to explain. She kept pounding questions into him one after another with a tone that left a bad aftertaste in her mouth. She couldn't explain why she was acting this way. It was out of her character to be like your typical diva or drama queen but that didn't stop her from acting that way. Was it her? Was it the baby? Was it both? She didn't know herself but she just continued to get upset.

"Robin I-"

"And your phone! Why didn't you pick up or text back? Obviously your phone was working just fine if you were able to call me."

"That's-"

"Luffy didn't even know where you were and you tell me you ended up in SW city? What were you doing anyways?"

"Oi! One damn question at a time!" Zoro snapped. "How do you expect me to answer your damn questions when you won't let me?"

"Then answer them!" she snapped back.

"Why are you so mad? That person you heard was a teammate. A couple of us from the team went out drinking as a type of group bonding sort of shit."

"That hardly seems believable." she interjected with so much distaste.

"Anyways" Zoro growled, hearing Robin's tone and continued. "Everyone was plastered. Before I knew it I woke up in SW city with some of my teammates."

"You? Plastered? I never thought I would see the day you would admit something like that." she said mockingly.

"Robin what the hell is your problem? I'm telling you what you want to know!"

"Then tell away." she spat.

Really, what was her problem? She didn't know herself. She would have been more calm about the situation but that definitely wasn't happening. But in her defense, wouldn't anyone be upset like this? Maybe she was taking the more immature route but she just couldn't help it.

Zoro grunted loudly in irritation. If Robin was trying his patience, she was doing one hell of a job.

"…I woke up not too long before calling you and realized that I had my phone on silent the entire time. Its never bothered you before when I don't call or respond right away. Why now? Is it because you thought I was cheating on you? Robin you should know me better than that!"

Zoro got up from his seat across from Robin and made his way to sit beside her. The tension and the distance was too much and he felt like he needed to do something. As he slowly sat beside her and placed a hand on hers, she pulled it away and stood abruptly.

"Well that doesn't explain the underwear I found in your room!"

"What underwear?" he asked with furrowed brows and concerned tone.

"A month ago you were looking for your bandana and I found two of them. I found one between your mattress and your headboard and I found the other between your desk and trash bin. Care to enlighten me?"

"Like I said, what underwear?"

"Zoro why are you lying to my face?"

"I'm not lying! Are you sure they're not yours? We have been getting a little too frisky-" he said trying not to grin. "-besides you're the only one I let in my room! No one else comes over!"

"They're not mine! I would know if they were mine and those definitely weren't!"

"Enough! I'm not cheating! I don't know where those came from! And you! Why didn't you answer about your safety? Are you hurt somewhere I can't see? Nami has a bandaged on her cheek but her face says otherwise about you!"

Robin flinched a little as Zoro looked at her from head to toe. Damn he was perceptive in moments like these. She hated it sometimes. She grew nervous and swallowed hard hoping he wouldn't assume the bigger issue hiding within her. Clearing her throat and shaking her nervousness away she looked at him long and hard as she picked up right where he left off.

"We're fine. She was just unlucky and something cut her cheek but she's fine. I'm fine. But don't change the subject."

Zoro was tired. Not only did he have a hard work out from practice the day before, but he stayed up after that getting plastered. The yelling wasn't helping his hangover and he was pissed now. Instead of yelling he forced out a sigh and pressed his back into the couch.

"Alright, lets talk about it." he said tiredly. "I'm not cheating. Simple as that. If you have doubts then lets move in together."

"That's not talking about it. That's you, coming up with a solution without a proper discussion. The answer is no."

"May I ask why?"

"I don't want this to be a reason to move in together."

"But you don't trust me so that's why I'm saying we should get a place together."

"And its because I don't trust you that I'm not going to."

"…"

Robin didn't trust him? Of course there would be a misunderstanding somewhere along the line but he didn't think that Robin would be this immature about it. Her lack of trust hit a sour spot in him and he was upset. Upset at the fact that she would assume he was cheating. Upset at the fact that she wasn't her normal, reasonable self in a conversation like this. If she was mad she showed it, but not in this form. Zoro and Robin have had their fair share of disagreements and a few scream sessions but this was just unreal. She was being much to touchy about this topic and it scared him a little. She never brought out the prima Dona attitude before, so this was categorized as uncharted territory for him.

... ...

Zoro and Robin stared at one another hard and Zoro held out a hand. Robin looked at it with distaste and skepticism, but Zoro didn't budge. He kept it out for her to take. She wasn't going to take it and took an extra step away, but that didn't stop Zoro from standing and taking her hand within his. She averted her gaze to the lamp that sat upon the end table and felt her arm being tugged on gently. She wasn't going to budge and Zoro knew it, so instead, he moved closer to her.

"…Hey…" he said in a low, tired voice.

"…what…?" she spat softly.

"Robin, look at me." he said soothingly.

She didn't look at him. She didn't want to. He could have been lying to her for all she knew and she didn't want to see his face. In moments like these, when he used tones like that, if she looked at his face, she knew she was going to melt and leave things unsolved and she didn't want that. She didn't want things to be fine with just a tone, a smile, a kiss, and a hug. She wanted the truth. Especially since she had something she needed to protect.

She felt Zoro's hand rest on the small of her back while his other caressed her shoulder. This was the closest he was going to get and spoke to her, trying to calm her down.

"Robin, I'm not cheating. What do you-"

Zoro was cut off by the ringing of Robin's cell phone and she moved from him to answer it. He made a mental note to kill who ever it was that ruined his moment to calm down Robin. He noticed her eying her phone curiously and moved in to get a closer look. The number displayed on the screen was not registered in her phone and it didn't belong to this city. Who could have been calling Robin? She hesitantly answered her phone with the usual, polite manner she maintained but was greeted by nothing.

"Hello?"

"…_h-"_

"Hello?"

"…_Ro…pl…ne…."_

"Who ever you are, you're cutting off. I can't understand a word you are saying. Please call back."

"_No!…Do….Robin…not…alright…"_

Robin's eyebrows furrowed at the sound of her name.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"_Hello! Hello! Can you hear me now?!" _a voice shouted on the other end.

"Yes I can hear you, who is this?" she asked in an alarmed tone.

"_It's Sanji! Where are you! Are you guys safe? Where is Nami?"_

"Sanji? Where are you? We're fine. Nami has a cut on her cheek but she's fine."

Slam! Robin and Zoro turned their heads towards the sound of the slam and heard footsteps rushing downstairs. Nami ran into the living room and grabbed for Robin's cell phone with a desperate look on her face.

"Sanji! Where are you!" she gasped loudly.

"_Nami! I got your mesage. Are you ok?"_

"I'm fine! Where are you?"

"_Hello? Nami? Hello?"_

"Hello? Can you hear me?" she asked back.

The connection was so bad that Sanji couldn't hear a thing Nami spouted.

"_Hello? Nami? Are you there? Can't… hear…! If you're there listen! I won't be back...Tuesday...! Something happened…home…pol…bla…both of you...live with me…where…pl…is...…injured...explain..."_

"Sanji? Hello? Hello?"

"_I …go! …Lo…!"_

"Hey wait! Hello! You're cutting off!"

And with that, the line disconnected. What was with that phone call? Where was Sanji? What happened? But most of all, what was with his message? He seemed to be in a rush and he sounded uneasy. The call itself should have been reassuring to Nami but it only made her worry more.

"Hey, how did you know Sanji was on the phone? Eavesdropping?" Zoro assumed.

"Its hard to not hear you. The air vents were quite friendly and both of your yelling amplified it." she deadpanned.

Robin, not wanting to brood on the subject of her argument, changed the discussion quickly to Sanji.

"Nami, did he say anything you could understand?"

"A bit. I heard him say 'won't be back...Tuesday...'...Does that mean he's not here?"

"The number was out of this city. I don't know the area code though." Robin sighed. "Did he say anything else?"

"...I think we're staying with him...I heard the word, 'injured' and 'explain…" Nami's eyebrows furrowed and she grunted loudly. "Graaah! I don't know what that meant! Where is he?! Is he ok? I don't know. Is he injured? Was he asking about me? Where was he calling from? What did he mean by 'Tuesday'?"

"Calm down, I'm sure he's fine. Just breathe a think a bit." Robin said reassuringly and gently took her phone from Nami's python like grip. "Think about it, 'wont be back...Tuesday' could mean he won't be back until Tuesday. Now about 'injured' and 'explain', maybe he was talking about you. I told him about your cheek and maybe he thought it was serious."

Nami plopped herself onto the couch with enough force to cause a loud thump. Zoro, still in the room, decided to sit in his original seat, across from Nami and Robin. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do or say. He and Robin didn't finish their argument and now the subject had completely changed. If he brought the topic back up, that would only create more problems to pile onto his lap. Instead he kept silent and listened to the girls talk while they waited for Law to come back.

* * *

Tuesday August 14. 4:27pm

Nami had been restless since the phone call with Sanji. Today was Tuesday but did it mean Sanji would be here? What if he meant next Tuesday? Or the Tuesday after that? What if he meant the second Tuesday of the next month? She groaned inwardly to herself and heard the bus driver call to her stop. With the slight bobbing of people against her, she pushed through the miniature crowd who blocked the door, and with a jolt, she was popped out of the bus doors. She was glad she landed on her feet but today was not a good day to wear high heels. If she landed incorrectly then she would have hurt her ankle or worse, damaged her high heels. They were her favorite pair after all and she didn't want to do anything that could ruin them.

With tired feet she tried not to drag, she walked the longest five minutes of her life to Law's apartment. She just wanted to sleep. Yesterday and today were extremely busy at work and it didn't help that she barely had time to eat or sleep properly at Law's. She could feel the wear and tear on her body and to her luck, she finally reached Law's apartment. She sluggishly made her way up the steps and into the front door and was greeted by Robin and Law from the living Room.

"Nami, I received another call from Sanji while you were at work." she shouted.

Nami, forgetting that she felt burnt out, ran into the living room with a look of hope and desperation on her face.

"What happened?" she gasped.

"He's actually going to be here soon. He didn't say anything more than that. He only asked about Law's address."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"...what the hell...he could have said something more...he could have called my work..." she muttered in a disappointed tone.

"I'm sure there's a story behind it." Robin said reassuringly.

Just then there was a pounding on the front door. Nami, jumped with excitement and ran. It had to be Sanji. The first thing she was going to do was hit him. No one leaves for five days without informing people where you were going. Well, no one except for her. She opened the front door and sure enough it was a desperate, yet panting Sanji.

"Nami marry me!" he shouted through his panting. Was he running? In jeans and a button up shirt? Why was he out of breath? He had great stamina so why was he so tired?

"W-Wait what?" she asked with a look of shock on her face. Why was he asking this so suddenly?

"Marry me!"

"W-Wait a minute. Just breathe and-"

"Sa~nji~kun!" squealed the voice of a young woman.

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the wait. I've been getting used to my classes this semester. As for my nursing license exam, I believe I passed! Yay! The written portion was too easy and the practical was nerve wracking but my proctor told me I did excellent and made good judgement. So that means I passed right? hahah. I have a more relaxed schedule now so I can start updating sooner. Thank you all for your support and your patience and I hope to continue writing for you!**

**-Rusala.  
**


	25. Slap

"Nami marry me!" he shouted through his panting. Was he running? In jeans and a button up shirt? Why was he out of breath? He had great stamina so why was he so tired?

"W-Wait what?" she asked with a look of shock on her face. Why was he asking this so suddenly?

"Marry me!" He shouted again.

"W-Wait a minute. Just breathe and-"

"Sa~nji~kun!" squealed the voice of a young woman.

"Nami, marry me!"

"W-What? No! Why are you-"

"Ah! I fou~nd you~ Sanji!" sang the woman.

Sanji pushed himself into Law's apartment and slammed the door behind him, locking it along the way. He closed the curtains of the door's window and slid to the floor in defeat.

"Sanji! Who is in there! We're not done talking!" cried the woman, as she pounded on the front door.

Nami eyed Sanji in anger. She didn't get a look at the woman at all and was tempted to kick Sanji out of the way to look.

"Who is that?" Nami gritted. She balled her fists that fell to the sides of her hips so tight her knuckles turned white.

"Nami, its not what it looks like."

"Sanji…you go missing for almost five days. No texts. No emails. You make one shitty phone call and worry the hell out of me. And you come back with another woman?"

"It's not what you think Nami." he coughed out, still tired from his run .

It's not what you think? Such a typical, overly used line people said when caught in the act of cheating. Nami felt her blood boiling.

"Tell me Sanji, what am I supposed to think if this is 'not what I think'?" She hissed loudly.

"I have a really good explanation."

"I'm not sure I even want to hear it! Sanji did you sleep with her? You sure screwed up big time sleeping with someone clingy!" she yelled.

"Nami, I didn't sleep with anyone! You're the only one!"

"Oh my god! That's such a clichéd line! You really did sleep with her didn't you?"

"Please let me explain." he piped.

"That's so clichéd too! Hmm should I wait for you to explain before or after I beat the shit out of you?" she shouted.

"Preferably after." he pleaded. Sanji knew mayhem was coming his way one way or another. He'd rather he be conscious first and explain instead of having a concussion and give more misunderstandings.

Nami stormed off into the living room and Sanji followed after her, not noticing Law and Robin sitting on the couch. They had heard the conversation so far and said nothing as Sanji followed after Nami. She made her way to the end table with a decent sized lamp and spoke.

"Sanji, I don't think I can wait that long." Nami gritted, as she unplugged the lamp and picked it up. She turned around with a violent gaze and inched closer to Sanji.

Just before she could throw the lamp or hit Sanji with it, Law took if from her hands.

"Whoa there. This may be a shitty lamp, but its _my_ shitty lamp. Break your own things, not mine."

Law placed his lamp back onto the end table and looked to Nami.

"You, in my room." Law ordered.

"Wh-What? No!" she snapped

"You need to cool down. I don't want you breaking things in my house. In my room. Now."

"I'll just go out and take a walk! Maybe meet that woman out there too!" she hissed as she made her way out of the living room, rolling up the sleeves to her blouse.

Law came up from behind and pulled her over his shoulder like a potato sack and carried her up the stairs. She protested and swung her legs and arms but it had no effect.

Sanji didn't protest but he was pissed at how Law had the audacity to carry Nami like that. And just what did he mean by 'my room'? Was she sleeping in there?

* * *

"Ok, spill it." Law said in an irritated fashion. "I don't want drama in my place. Why were you gone for so long?"

Sanji kept his silence as he contemplated on where to begin. Robin had just entered with a tray of drinks and placed them down on the coffee table and eyed Sanji skeptically.

"Why is Nami in your room?" Sanji finally asked.

"It's quiet in there."

"Your point?"

"She needs to let out steam. She can't do that if she can hear the conversation through the air vents in the spare room." Law said flatly, as he crossed his legs and leaned into his couch. "So? What's the deal with the woman? Were you cheating?"

"What? No! I would never do that to her!" Sanji hollered.

"Then why the long absence?"

Law was quite level headed and calm about the conversation. Laid back as usual and had that I-don't-give-a-damn attitude. He could have kicked Sanji out since he entered without being invited but Law was curious how things turned out this way.

"I...was away on business..." Sanji said hesitantly.

"Yeah right. Why the hesitation? You would have called if you were." Law sneered.

"I couldn't call. As soon as I got there my charger was swiped by that aggravating little-"

Sanji stopped himself short of saying the word 'bitch'. He would never insult women, no matter how awful they were, but he was so upset he was more than willing to call this woman in particular, a bitch.

Law could see the anger well up in Sanji's face and cocked an eyebrow. Things looked a little more interesting. He cleared his throat to catch Sanji's attention, which worked. Sanji leaned his elbows onto his knees and eyed the coffee table, thinking about how it all happened and spoke.

"A business friend of my old man's requested my appearance. I declined but there was a plane ticket being shoved into my face with escorts."

"…escorts?" Robin asked with a scrutinizing look.

"Police escorts."

"Why police?" Law asked with interest.

Sanji sighed and looked to Robin and back to Law. "You've heard of it right? My disappearance with Luffy and Zoro? A lot of things happened. Zoro and I got into a lot of fights. Luffy too. Police were involved and luckily I wasn't eighteen yet. So everything was expunged."

"So they thought you were going to put up a fight, thus the police escorts." Law tired to conclude.

"No. It was blackmail. They were ready to dig up the past and shove it in my future if I said no. So I went. It was only for a few days and I figured it wasn't going to cause any damage. Its happened before so there was no harm in going along with it. I had my phone with me but the car I rode wouldn't transmit any cell phone signals in or out. I called again after I made it to the airport but no one picked up at the apartment. I tried Robin's phone but it was busy."

Robin thought about Sanji's words carefully. She and Nami were at the house the whole day until they heard the crashing noises from upstairs. Sanji must have called after the ceiling fell through and during the time Robin was calling anyone that could have been home. This was just bad luck in its finest.

"Bad timing. You probably called after the incident. Continue." Law urged.

"…The plane ticket was a rush deal." Sanji exhaled. "As soon as I checked my bags in, security guided me straight to the gate. I called the apartment about an hour or two later and then my phone died. Everything was obviously planned out because as soon as the plane landed, there was another police escort waiting around. They wouldn't let me stop to use the payphone."

Sanji's visible brow furrowed and it seemed as if all the hate in the world filled his visible eye.

"When I finally reached my destination, I had a chance to charge my phone and shower in my host's home. When I came out, the charger was missing and my phone was still dead. I know that little…_lady_…took it…" Sanji gritted. He didn't even want to acknowledge that woman as a lady. He held so much distaste towards her.

"What lady?" Law asked.

"The daughter of the old man's friend. There's never any freedom or privacy when I visit those people. If I made an outgoing call there was always someone listening in on the other end. I only called the restaurant to tell them I was away on business."

"You still could have called us." Robin suggested in a polite way, though her tone said a lot of other things.

"No. They know the restaurant number so they can bother the place as much as they like. I would rather sell my soul to the devil himself than have your numbers saved in their registry."

"What about when you were out? You could have went to the bathroom and used a payphone."

Sanji shook his head. "There was always someone following me."

"Then how were you able to call my phone?"

"I paid a guy 50 Beli to use his phone when I noticed the coast was clear. After the call, I went into his call log and deleted your number."

"Are they the mafia or something?" Law deadpanned.

"No but they seem like it don't they? They're just…cautious…"

"More like paranoid" Law scoffed. "You should have just said, 'screw you'."

"It was a "bite your tongue" situation." Sanji said, partially raising his tone in a hurried fashion.

"Well look what we have here. A total pussy. I know you're a rational person but are you kidding me? Someone like you would have said something or raised some hell or-"

"You don't understand. It's a problem that…that needs proper discussion…and time..."

"Ok so its a rich boy's problem. Who is the woman outside?"

"The daughter…she flew here on her own and now she's following me…" Sanji grunted.

Robin was curious but her expression was of pure surprise and shock. Who does that? Who pseudo kidnaps a person and lets someone fly back to follow the victim? Stalker much?

"Any reason for me to believe you're not cheating on Nami with her?"

"I'm not. That's more than enough reason. Law, you of all people should know."

"That may be true, but I do know about your frivolous extravaganzas from before. Its a nice circle of pillow talk and lust don't you think? The perfect chance to compare and contrast between lovers." He smirked.

Sanij didn't like where Law was going with this. Especially in front of Robin. Though it wasn't anything news for her to hear, Sanij didn't know that.

"Look, I'm not, and never will cheat on Nami."

"Says you." Law said nonchalantly. "So, what are you planning on doing about the woman outside?"

"She'll grow bored and go back to her hotel." Sanji huffed.

Robin observed Sanji very carefully. She had never seen Sanji so irritated and earnestly show distaste with a woman before. He would usually bite his tongue and bear with the situation as best as he could. And although Sanji wasn't as clear she would have liked him to be about the situation, she felt it was best not to ask. She felt that things would unfold with time. She didn't pay attention to the continuing conversation he held with Law. She was stuck in her own thoughts. Somehow, as shifty as Sanji's story seemed, she felt like she could trust in his words that he wasn't cheating on Nami. She looked down to her phone and felt a little jealous that Sanji was much more trustworthy than Zoro was at the moment. Her fingers traced the edges of her phone when Sanji broke through her thoughts.

"Robin, you and Nami are more than welcomed to live with me. I have a lot of space and an extra bedroom for you if you would like. Its close to your work too if I'm not mistaken. I think it's a bout a five to ten minute walk away."

That's right. Sanji had only told Robin about his place once but it was close to her work. A little out of the way from school but very close to work. It was very tempting. She had been thinking about working as much as possible to save for the baby and the location was perfect. She looked at Sanji, who held a calm, earnest expression and looked down to her phone. There was no way she could ask Zoro, considering she flat out rejected his offer. His place was close to school but far from work and not only were they in a fight mode about what he's probably doing, but she had yet to tell him of her pregnancy. Zoro was bound to notice within the months, seeing her gain weight. Babies made round bellies so she couldn't lie and say she was getting fat. Luffy could probably believe it but Zoro wasn't that dense.

"That sounds like a very tempting offer but I feel that Nami should be a part of this conversation." She said civilly. "By the way, I'm surprised she hasn't run down here at all."

"Oh that? I locked her in the room." Law said with an upbeat attitude.

"You what?" growled Sanji

"Calm down. I just wedged the hall chair under the doorknob. She's alive…I think." Law joked.

He stood up and motioned for Sanji and Robin to follow. This should have been enough time for her to cool off and there were less items in his room that she could break. If bringing Sanji was going to piss her off then at least he and Robin would be there in the room to mediate the conversation.

Reaching the end of the hall upstairs, Robin and Sanji saw the chair between the doorknob and the floor. Law carefully removed the chair and knocked on the door as he entered his own room. A very weird thing to do, considering this was his place, but he didn't know what Nami was doing in there. Robin and Sanji followed behind him to see Nami dead asleep on his bed and glared at Law. His joke earlier didn't seem so funny but he didn't budge from intimidation. He simply shrugged his shoulders and stepped to the side.

Nami's heels were on the floor and her pencil skirt was lifted a little higher as she was curled into some of the blanket that adorned the bed. Her head was supported with one pillow and her arm was draped over another. The light purring of a snore that filled the room came to a stop when a content sigh escaped from Nami.

"She hasn't slept well since the phone call." Robin chided as she pinched the back of Sanji's arm. She then nudged him with the same hand to go and wake up Nami.

Sanji, unsure if he should or shouldn't, slowly made his way to Nami and sat at the edge of the bed to be in her view. Hesitantly he reached a hand to her arm and nudged her lightly which had little to no effect. He nudged her again with a little extra force and spoke.

"Nami." he called gently.

She hummed in response and squinted her brows.

"Five more minutes." she mumbled.

"Nami, its time to wake up." he said as lovingly as he could. He wasn't sure what was going to happen when Nami woke up and he was a little scared.

Her eyes slowly fluttered open and saw Sanji sitting in front of her. She sat up sluggishly and poked his arm, testing to see if he was an illusion or not. Realizing that he was indeed not an illusion, she felt angry all over again and with a swift motion, slapped his face.

"Well that was unexpected!" Law laughed.

Robin made a motion to pinch Law's nipple but he covered it with his hands quickly with a desperate expression on his face that apologized a million times.

The once peaceful expression on Nami's face was gone and she glared with the intent to kill. Sanji didn't say anything. He didn't even budge when she slapped him. She left a very nice mark on his cheek and he could feel the blood and the burn rush to it. He looked at her through half lidded eyes and waited for her to say or do something more.

"What?" she hissed.

Nami didn't say anything after that and looked at him expectantly. Waiting for an explanation.

"We were talking about your living situation and I suggested my place. You and Robin are more than welcomed." he said in a low, humble tone. He needed to watch his words and tones carefully. Nami was over the border of pissed and that slap she just inflicted could probably turn into a nasty punch.

"Ah geez I get it." She huffed in irritation. "If Robin is ok with it then its fine with me."

Nami untangled herself from the pillow and blanket and shimmied to the edge of the bed. She exhaled and looked to Robin with a gentle expression.

"Its up to you." Nami said with a smile.

Robin looked at Nami with appreciative eyes but felt bad. She knew Nami was more than willing to help her out even if things were bad with her and Sanji at the moment.

"Nami I don't want there to be problems with you and Sanji. But if its alright with you, would it be ok with we took his offer? His place is closer to my work and-"

"Say no more." Nami beamed. If Sanji's place was going to help Robin out then Nami was more than willing to take Sanji's offer. She grabbed her heels and trotted off to her room tugging Robin by her arm.

That was fast. Too fast. For a moment it seemed like Nami was ready to kill and instantly turned back into her usual, upbeat attitude.

As the two girls were out of the room Law looked to Sanji who stood up the bed and straightened his shirt.

"Hey…" Law said.

"Yea?" Sanji replied with a tired expression.

"Want ice?"

* * *

Sanji had been cooking dinner as the girls unpacked their things in separate rooms. Robin had a luxurious, maroon colored room to herself as Nami agreed to share Sanji's room. Nami didn't care since Sanji was her boyfriend after all, though she was still upset. She put her boxes into a corner and left her suitcase open next to her boxes. She didn't mind living out of her suitcases until she could discuss with Sanji about the arrangement of the closet and his dresser.

'_The arrangement of the closet and his dresser… If that doesn't sound like coming to terms of a negotiation in a divorce case then I don't know what does…' _she thought dryly.

Nami sat at the edge of the bed and stared at the other set of suitcases that were sealed and didn't belong to her. She began to feel bad for overreacting the way she did. Surely Sanji must have had a good explanation but she let her anger get the best of her. She glanced at his large, walk in closet and felt even worse. He definitely wasn't home for five days and hadn't even unpacked before coming to get her.

'_Ugh. I am the worst girlfriend…'_ She mentally groaned.

As part of an apology she started taking things out of Sanji's suitcase; separating clothes for hanging and folding. Whatever didn't look or smell clean to her were tossed to the floor for washing and was separated by color and material. She had to hand it to Sanji. It looked like he had less clothes than she did but this suitcase proved otherwise. Nami looked to the other suitcase and frowned at the size. It was obviously bigger but she decided unpack that as well. With a smooth, pulling motion, she unzipped the bag to have clothes and other various things spring to life and spill out of the suitcase. Instead of taking them out carefully she left it on the floor and walked out of the room. She didn't know what to do with it and decided to help Sanji with it later.

She walked to the set of stairs that were within the wall and slowly descended into the kitchen. She got a good look at Sanji's back and sighed silently. If she was going to apologize she should do it now. She slowly, but surely, made her way to Sanji and tapped his right shoulder lightly. He looked over his shoulder with a tired smile and cleared his throat.

"Sorry, it'll be done in about another fifteen minutes…" he said cautiously.

Nami motioned to stand next to him and looked at the cheek she slapped. She wasn't left handed but boy did she leave a nasty mark on his right cheek. She slowly brought her hand to his cheek and caught Sanji off guard. He wasn't sure if she was going to slap him again or not but when he felt her hand softly rub against his cheek, he couldn't help but lean into her touch even more. Five days was too much of not being able to see or hear her. What was worse, was coming back to see her cheek was hidden behind a decently large bandage.

He set the stove on the lowest heat to simmer some sort of sauce and turned to Nami, pressing his hand on hers, desperately wanting to feel her hand on his face even more. He closed his eyes and inhaled and tiredly opened his eyes upon exhaling, hoping this was real. And real it was. She didn't smile, nor did she show any signs of anger. Instead she frowned a little and muttered under her breath.

"…Sorry…"

"For?" he asked curiously.

"For slapping your face…and overreacting…I'm better than that but-" Her words were cut short with a light kiss to her lips and desperate embrace from Sanji. Though muffled, she continued to talk through his embrace. "I was worried sick and upset you called Robin instead of my work today…And then when you came with a woman following behind, everything turned into rage and-"

Sanji held onto her tighter and she felt like she could just melt in his touch. Five days was more that enough to be separated from Sanji and it felt right just being held by him. Sanji released his hold and only leaned into her with his right hand resting on the small of her back. Their proximity was greatly wanted and Nami nestled herself into him more. Sanji looked at her face carefully and brought his left hand to her injured cheek, lightly thumbing over the wrapping that adorned her face.

"Damn Nami, stop getting into fights when I'm not around." he joked quietly.

Nami slapped his chest playfully and tried not to smile but the corners of her lips couldn't hold out for much longer. She was still upset and didn't want everything to be about jokes but this was one of the many reasons she adored him. She rested her head upon his shoulder and exhaled in defeat.

"I'm still mad…" she mumbled.

"…I know… but that just means you love me." he said with enthusiasm.

Still resting her head on his shoulder she slapped his arm softly and let Sanji bring his other hand to the small of her back to hold onto her. She loved this man too much and she knew it very well. She still had yet to openly tell him but she was thankful he knew at least.

"Hey…." Sanji said hesitantly.

"Hmmm?" she hummed with a slight annoyance.

"After dinner, I want to talk to you about what happened."

" …okay…"

"Under one condition though."

"What?"

"Just don't throw or break anything." he pleadingly joked.

"Fine." she said, trying to sound upset, but the hidden playfulness in her voice said that Sanji was in the clear, for now.

* * *

**A/N**

**Hello all, thank you for waiting patiently for this chapter. Thank you all for your support and reviews. I'm trying to carefully plan the next chapter haha so I hope this will keep you in suspense until I post it haha.**


	26. Orange and Lemon Meet

**Saturday August 18 8:22 am**

A week had passed since Sanji's return and things were going well, that is, until Robin told him the big news. He panicked, hyperventilated, and almost passed out if not for Nami pulling him towards the couch. You would think it was him that was going to be the father but he wasn't. The news threw him into complete shock and rage that Zoro had the audacity to engage in such activities with Robin, but of course he had no say in it. As much as he cared for Robin and treasured her like he did with Nami, he lectured her on telling Zoro soon or things were only going to go downhill. He gave her the support she needed and she had planned on telling Zoro on her date with him. A date for Zoro to reconcile with Robin. Which left Nami and Sanji alone.

Nami passed so many hints his way to get a little _frisky _but he was clearly shoving her off and changing the situation or conversation. Nami was pissed. At first she thought it was nothing and continued to make passes at him all day but he never took them. He threw them away. She was overboard frustrated and couldn't take it.

She sauntered her way downstairs and into the day room where Sanji sat, writing new ideas for dishes with an open book on the coffee table. The orange hue of the sunset filled the whole first floor with a warm marmalade color as it shined through all the large paneled windows, giving Sanji a glowing effect against his brilliant, blond hair.

Nami almost felt like she couldn't get mad at him, looking at his calm expression and fixing the rectangular glasses that were placed ever so intelligently in front of his eyes. She had never seen him with glasses before and Nami had to admit it suited Sanji very well. Nami shook her head quickly and swallowed hard, thinking that this wasn't the moment to ogle her boyfriend.

"Ok what?" she hissed.

"Huh?"

"Don't 'huh' me. Did I upset you or something?"

"No. Why would you say that?" Sanji said, continuing to write a list of ingredients to his newest dish.

"You're avoiding me."

"I am not."

"Yes you are! Sanji do you find me unappealing now?"

"What?" he gasped. Sanji turned to Nami with a surprised expression and searched her eyes and face for what she could have been thinking.

"Do you fine me unappealing? Am I ugly? Too inexperienced for you?"

"Nami what are you-"

"Sanji, you're smart. And I know that you know that I'm making passes and throwing hints your way but you're purposely disregarding them. What is the deal? Instead of beating around the bush, just tell me you're not interested or you're not in the mood."

"Nami I-"

"Seriously Sanji, the first time was the last time! We were waiting for me to feel better and then you disappeared. Now that you're back, and we're alone, I thought we could explore a bit but you're obviously rejecting me."

"Nami there's just been a lot on my mind. I'm sorry I made you feel that way."

"Then tell me what is on your mind. You know I hate it when you leave me in the dark."

"It's personal." he said quietly.

Nami looked at Sanji with concern and kneeled before him, trying to look at his face. He looked distraught over something and Nami wondered what could have been going on in his head. She placed a hand on his lap and looked at him, poking his abdominal with her right finger.

"Hey, you can talk to me you know."

Sanji heaved a heavy sigh and looked to her with exhausted yet loving eyes. She could see the light shadows under his eyes that were forming little bags and Nami felt a bit worried for Sanji. They had been sleeping in the same room and living in the same house but she never noticed how worn out he looked. Things at work were hectic and Nami understood that, and he always seemed to fall asleep with her. Was he really not sleeping? Was he wide awake while she snoozed away?

"You're not dying are you?" she asked hesitantly. She knew it was an awful joke to make but it was an icebreaker for getting him to talk to her.

"Of course not."

"Then there's nothing worse than that. You can tell me what's bothering you."

"Nami its stupid."

"Nothing is stupid. So spill."

Sanji smiled tiredly and sighed heavily again. He motioned for Nami to sit on his lap and have her rest her head on his shoulder as her face buried into his neck. With Sanji's left hand, he stroked and played with her hair while his right hand entangled itself between her fingers thumbing over her stationary thumb. This was weird. Something must have been really bothering Sanji if he looked as tired as he did. So she sat there, waiting patiently for Sanji to talk about his concerns and found herself almost falling asleep in his arms. Before she could nod off into a gentle slumber Sanji shifted a bit and cleared his throat slightly; ready to speak his peace.

"I don't want little ones running around here…"

"Too bad. Robin's going to have a little one running around."

"That's not what I mean…I don't want us to have little ones running around." he mumbled sheepishly.

"That's what you're worried about?"

"Nami there's always that risk. You heard Robin. She and Zoro were always on top of their contraceptives but it still happened."

"Sanji…?" she said sweetly.

"Hmm?"

"That's stupid. You're stupid. Would it really bother you if I suddenly became pregnant?" she said bluntly.

"Nami I love you and I'd be ecstatic but only when we're ready. Robin is different. I'm sure she has her fears and worries but she's different. I know she'll do wonderful and I'm sure its not just you and I who would be more than willing to help her out. But Nami look at us. We haven't been together for half a year yet. Already we've had three 'almost' fall outs and we're both no where near close to possessing half of the maturity level Robin has. I honestly can't handle the idea of having children so soon. You saw my reaction when Robin told me. I might throw up everywhere and pass out if it were you."

"Like I said before, you're stupid. What does maturity matter in the case? As long as the child is loved, supported, and taken care of properly in a safe environment, then who cares if we're immature. Sanji you're being way too paranoid about this."

"I told you its stupid. That's why I'm not touching you. Or going to touch you." he said with finality in his voice.

Nami bolted from his chest and rearranged her position to straddle his lap.

"What the hell? I can't satisfy myself alone you jerk." she hissed with a blush across her face. Still new to the world of intimacy, Nami still couldn't find herself saying these things aloud but she needed to get her point across.

"Nami I'm not joking."

"I'm not either! Seriously, you're way too paranoid. If you're that worried there's always the "Day After" pill if you're so worried about it. Abortion is always an option and-"

"Nami I would never ask you to, nor would I ever let you get one. The last thing I'd want is for you to take away the life of our unborn child."

"Sanij you're not making sense. First you say you don't want one until later and now you're saying you wouldn't let me solve the problem if it were to happen soon. Sanji pick one and stick with it! Did you think I'd go for an abortion that easily? Seriously Sanji I only said that because I'm letting you know about the options that are available. If something happens then there is always a backup plan. And its not like I'm going to get pregnant tomorrow. Or next week. Or next month. We'll just be extra careful."

"The number one plan should just be abstinence all the way."

"Sanji you're being unreasonable. And you sound like some lame sex ad for teens."

"No I'm being very reasonable" he said quickly.

"You're not taking into account my feelings here. I might rape you." Nami said seriously.

"Nami that's not something to joke about."

"I'm not joking. I might just rape you if you keep pushing me away. It's easy too since we live together and I have a idea on how to get to the restaurant is now. You're also going to the same university as I am and stalking is a very easy thing to do."

"Nami seriously, stop. That's not funny."

"Neither is no sex at all. Like I said, you're being too damn paranoid and I-"

Nami was cut off by the ringing of the door bell and grunted loudly as she got off of Sanji's lap and made her way to the entrance, grumbling under we breath.

Before she could open the door Sanji placed a chaste kiss against her cheek and walked to the kitchen, quietly saying, "We'll talk about it later."

Nami peaked at the door's intercom camera and didn't see anyone standing in the way and curiously opened the door. She knew she heard the door bell and so did Sanji so where was the person? Nami looked within the little gate and front door area to see no one standing and turned around to head back inside when a flash of yellow ran in and the citrus smell of lemons filled her nose.

"Sa~n~ji - ku~n" The voice squealed. "I found you!" the voice squealed again, and Nami heard a distinctly loud thump.

Nami quickly closed the door behind her and ran inside to see a young, blond woman with shoulder length hair and waves, straddling Sanji, who was now laying on the kitchen floor.

"W-What the hell? What are you doing here?" He shouted, struggling to get out from the woman's weight.

"Daddy told me. Kyahahaha did you think you were going to leave without finishing our conversation?"

What was with that laugh? It was so loud, high pitched, and irritating.

Before the woman could do anything or say anything more, Nami stomped her way towards the blond woman and grabbed her by the back of her shirt, pulling her off of Sanji and letting her fall flat on her butt.

"Owie! What's the big idea you gorilla?" she squeaked, glaring at the sudden force she was shown. "Do you know how expensive my shirt is? What if you ruined it? Can you afford to pay for the damages?" She shouted.

"The big idea is you breaking into our place! Who are you and what the hell is your problem?" Nami shouted back.

The blond girl stood from where she was tossed and pretended to dust herself off and Nami got a better look at the woman. She was thin, with a pearl-white colored, short sleeve blouse and bright yellow shorts that would make the sun jealous. She wore black heals and held bright green eyes with an irritating smile that Nami felt like she wanted to punch right off.

"Like I'd tell the maid my name." she scoffed.

'_Maid? This bitch has another thing coming!'_ Nami thought.

Before Nami could shout a retort, Sanji placed a hand on Nami's shoulder and exhaled with a deep annoyance.

"What are you doing here Val?"

"Isn't it obvious? You left before we could talk about the dishes that are going to be used at the wedding. I also can't pick between the silverware and the ice sculpture! You're supposed to help me! You're the groom after all!" She complained.

Groom? Nami looked to Sanji with furrowed brows as she tried to understand the situation. Sanji was the groom? To who? That annoying little bitch with the irritating laugh? Nami felt her blood boiling. Sanji didn't tell her something as important as this? Who is this bitch and why didn't Sanji say anything?

"I told you I'm not marrying you! I never saw you that way! I already told your father no and that's final!"

"But your dad agrees with it too!"

"Val, just because he agrees doesn't mean I do! That shitty geezer is just laughing it off and going with the flow. No means no!"

What the hell was going on? It was like Nami wasn't even there. Groom? Marriage? Nami couldn't process the situation at all as Sanji argued, and the woman named 'Val' suggested, complained, argued, and whined. Just what the hell was going on?

"Enough Val. You've overstayed your welcome. Leave or I'm calling-"

"Daddy has police connections so you can't call them!"

"Who said anything about calling the police? I'm calling Duval!"

"Ew no! Don't! Are you crazy my love? You're so cold hearted, but I still love you. Now tell me if you want the cake to be red velvet or chocolate. Personally I want chocolate but we can make alternating tiers and-"

"Val! Get out of our house." Sanji snarled.

"_Our_?" Val asked with a cocked eyebrow and a frown. "This will be our house?" She said with distaste and a sour expression.

"No its not Val. Its-"

"So we're getting the villa off the coast of NW islands?!" Val squealed in excitement.

"No. When I say 'our' I meant my house and Nami's." Sanji growled as he placed an arm around Nami's waist. "This is _our_ home. You can't come and interrupt the life I have here. I already said 'no'. Leave or I'm calling Duval." Sanji growled, pulling his cell phone from his pocket, ready to dial Duval's number.

Val frowned and groaned as she looked to Nami and then to Sanji's cell phone, and then up to Sanji's face. The hard line on his lips said he wasn't playing around and Val knew it. But she wasn't going to give up.

"Fine. I'm leaving for today but I'm telling your dad."

"What are you? Seven? I don't give a crap what you tell him but no means no!"

Val pranced towards Sanji and kissed his cheek with a carefree attitude and flashed a sly smile to Nami, and then pranced to the front door.

"Hey Red, don't get too comfortable with my fiancé." she said with a laugh and closed the door slowly.

"I'm not your fiancé!" Sanji shouted before the door finally closed. He ran over and quickly locked it, turning to see a frozen Nami with anger and shock written all over her face.

"Nami I-"

Nami held up a hand to stop Sanji, as she stared at the floor hard. The smooth, dark floorboards were her best friend right now but dared to blind her as they reflected the warm orange marmalade hue of the setting sun.

Sanji moved from the door and slowly made his way towards Nami, hoping to engage her in some sort of conversation when she stepped away from him.

"You told me about what happened but you never said anything about it being a marriage deal…" she said, trying to process what had just happened. She was in shock. She couldn't get angry just yet but for sure she couldn't look at Sanji. Her mind was racing but she was processing everything slow. It felt like it took an eternity to come up with a set of sentences and some form of understanding.

"Nami, she's spouting all kinds of crap. I already said no."

"That's not the only problem here. What else aren't you telling me Sanji?" she asked quietly, and turned to face Sanji.

The backdrop of the setting sun had done wonders to make Nami seem almost angelic, but today it only helped in making her look like she had just risen from hell. Her beautiful orange locks looked as red and fiery like many of the dangerous flames Sanji had cooked with.

"Nami, I didn't tell you because I had already said 'no' and that I didn't want to worry you."

"Sanji, not telling me things is what makes me worry! Somehow, not telling me everything seems to be your damn specialty! This is probably going to be fall out fucking number four!" She cursed.

Nami forcefully made her way to the fridge to grab a bottle of water and stormed up the stairs with Sanji following behind.

"Nami wait. At least let me talk about it."

"No! You sure didn't talk about it before and now you want to since its been brought up? You think I want to talk to you right now? I am so pissed you didn't tell me something like this! I'm glad you said 'no' but you didn't tell me at all! You hid this from me! Did you think I wasn't going to find out?"

"Nami-"

"No! Don't answer that! And another thing-!"

She burst through the door of the bedroom she shared with Sanji and grabbed her pillow, sheets, and blanket from some of her many boxes that took over a corner in Sanji's room, and sauntered her way towards the TV room across the hall.

"-You don't have to worry about me getting pregnant because I won't even be sleeping in the same room let alone the same bed! Heaven forbid I use your shower anymore since I could get pregnant!" She shouted mockingly.

She entered the TV room and threw her bedding onto the large, brown sofa and slammed the door; locking it in tow. Nami was upset and there was nothing Sanji could do at the moment. He knew he had messed up again and he began to wonder how many more times it was going to be before he started doing things right.

* * *

**7:02 pm**

"Do you need any help with dinner Sanji?" Robin asked as she had just entered through the front door and gently placed her purse, a few shopping bags, and her sweater onto the coffee table in the main sitting area.

Sanji looked up from the stove and smiled to her tiredly and turned his attention back to the dish he was preparing.

"Don't worry about. I'm almost done. Have a seat and tell me how your talk with the moss man went."

Robin obliged to Sanji's suggestion. She pulled a chair from the table and placed it on the other side of the counter, watching Sanji garnish the fettuccini alfredo with some herbs and poured an orange sauce onto the oven baked chicken breasts. A simple dinner but very mouth watering in Robin's opinion; though everything looked mouth watering in her opinion.

"Nothing happened really. We had lunch, saw a movie, shopping, then we walked along the pier. We headed back to his place and we argued again about the underwear I found."

"Wait what? You found underwear? A woman's?" He asked in suspicion and shock.

"Yup. In retrospect, they were in places that seemed very suspicious."

"What the hell! I'm going to beat that bastard!" Sanji snarled. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Zoro had the nerve to entertain another woman and Sanji couldn't believe it. He thought Zoro was better than that. Granted he didn't like admitting Zoro was his best friend and that he respected him.

"Please calm down and let me finish." Robin laughed.

"Robin that's not something to be calm about!"

"Well you're right its not, but we solved the problem…very much to my distaste though…" Robin frowned.

"What happened?"

"Well...um...Sanji... How do I say this...Luffy is disgusting...clueless and disgusting..." she said softly, trying not to leave any form of ill will behind it. She loved Luffy like a brother but this was the only thing that pissed her off and made her face grow sour.

Sanji cocked a brow and eyed Robin questioningly. This was the first time he had ever heard Robin speak ill about someone. Let alone anyone in the group. Normally she would use a different set of vocabulary or word her sentences differently to seem more polite or politically correct.

"Well the boy does lack manners but what did he do that was so bad?"

"Sanji he…well…it seems that he and his lady friend have been intimate in Zoro's room a few times…" Robin said with disgust and shuddered.

Sanji almost dropped the glass he held in hands and stared to Robin with an open mouth. Luffy? With a woman? He thought the conversation about sex at Nami's party was a joke or a misunderstanding on Luffy's part. He thought Luffy's understanding of sex was probably just a hug or something stupid as devouring a person like a cannibal to become "one".

"WHAT?!"

"I know! I feel so gross! I'm only thankful that I always made sure to wash the bed sheets and change them frequently before and after we had done anything when I felt off about the room. But still Sanji! Do you have any idea how disgusting that is? It makes me feel disturbed and I want nothing more than to scrub my skin off! Luffy is family but there is a limit to how senseless or dense a person could be!" she choked.

Sanji scowled at the thought of Luffy being intimate with another person in someone else's room. That was just plain rude and inconsiderate. He had to wonder who this 'lady friend' was and what sort of influence she was having on the dimwit they all knew and loved. It was shocking. But what was more shocking was the fact that Robin was showing a lot of different emotions from her usual attitude and Sanji wondered if it was caused by the baby or not. But even if she weren't pregnant, anyone would react that way too. Nami would, that's for sure.

'_Nami_…' he thought, and felt his heart drop along with his face. She had not left the TV room at all since their argument and she wouldn't open up when he knocked to check on her. She merely turned up the volume of the television until she knew he was gone, and then lowered back to its respectable setting.

"That is where the mysterious underwear came from." Robin shuddered and her face soured again.

"What about the talk of the baby?" He urged, wanting to know what happened. As much as he wanted to talk more about Luffy, he was more concerned about Robin's situation.

"Zoro passed out when I told him." she said nonchalantly.

"Really now?" Sanji said with interest, and tried not to laugh.

"Yes."

"How'd he take the news after that?"

"He almost passed out again."

"And?"

"He kissed me. I was quite shocked to be honest. I thought he was going to yell or bail."

"Marimo isn't that low of an algae…" Sanji said, nodding to himself in agreement.

"Actually, something interesting happened…"

"What?"

"He didn't rush me to move in with him nor did he push me into marriage."

"Robin I don't see where this is a good thing. Normally, you would want to step up like that to close the distance and make raising a child easier on both of you. Take turns with the hardships you know?"

"Sanji, that's the thing though. I never wanted the baby to be a reason for him to move in with me or get married. Its not fair to the child or the mother. Its like paying a debt you suddenly came into. There is no safe bet they we'll always be together and I wouldn't want to have another major commitment like moving out or divorce to get into the way of my child's… our child's growth and happiness. Just as long as he's there and helps out is more than enough. It was what I wanted all along."

"So you don't want to marry him for your child?"

"Heavens no. I want to marry him but not because of the baby. He understands that and he's actually thinking along the same line. We're both fine with being a boyfriend and girlfriend until we've decided to make the dive into marriage. It seems a little selfish of us to not be married but as long as we're both there for the child it shouldn't matter. There might be questions along the way but we're more than prepared to answer them."

Sanji stared in awe at Robin's reasoning and maturity. Most people would get married or move in together in this sort of situation to 'make things right', but that was a glorified way of trying to convince yourself you love someone or was doing the right thing. Some cases, it was a good push if both people loved one another but sometimes lead to a downfall. Robin and Zoro were being very mature about the decision and the situation.

"What about school?"

"I'm still going to school. Online courses for the first year or two and daycare after that. Nami's the godmother and she offered to baby-sit and help out if it's not too troubling for her. There are accommodations for pregnant students or students with children so its not a problem if I want to go to school for half of the semester and then do online courses for the other half. If there is no online half there are preparation packets I can set up with my professors."

"Wow you have it all figured out."

"Of course. Its going to be hard but I'm planning on graduating within the time frame I set for myself."

"What about this semester? If you're three months starting tomorrow are you still planning on attending classes?"

"Of course. Its only a semester. I'm not fragile so its ok. I'll be six or seven months by the first week of January and then since Spring semester starts the third week I can take things easy and start online classes."

"You really do have it all figured out." Sanji laughed. "Don't worry about getting another place. You and Nami are more than welcomed to stay here for as long as you like. Besides, I think its more convenient for you to stay here. Its closer to work and the hospital. I'm sorry I live a little farther from school but I don't mind driving you guys to and from school. Just pay me some gas money. We might not have easy or similar schedules so we might have to leave at six am for someone's class even if you probably don't have a class until nine or eleven. Is that ok with you?"

"Sanji that's more than ok. I really cannot thank you enough. But wouldn't it be difficult? You work and have school and you're starting soccer next spring. Not to mention a baby cries all of the time and-"

"Robin, relax. Don't-"

Sanji stopped what he was saying when he heard the click and creak of the door opening from the TV room. He looked to Nami, who in turn, did not look his way. She shuffled her way towards the room and came back out with her purse, ready to leave.

"You're not staying for dinner?" Sanji asked.

"Not in the mood. I have a craving for some fast crap. Don't wait up." she said, sounding uninterested and somewhat scornful.

With that having been said, she gave a wave and left, leaving Robin and Sanji in the kitchen.

"Ok, enough about me. What was the fight about?" Robin said with a calm, yet knowing smile.

* * *

"You're both stupid." Robin said, as she popped a crouton and savored the buttery, garlic goodness with a hint of saltiness.

There was that blunt response again. Sanji still could not wrap his mind around the fact that Robin was very different. He had heard that pregnancies equaled to mood swings and cravings but he had never heard about complete personality changes.

"I know…wait why is she stupid too?" Sanji asked with a dumbfounded expression.

"She's over reacting to the situation. I don't blame her but leaving like that instead of staying to talk is stupid."

"She has every right to be mad."

"True. You are at fault for not telling her. But you are not at fault as well. There was a fifty percent chance she was going to get upset anyways but you let it sit until it was unexpectedly thrown into her face. That is where you're at fault. Another thing is the abstinence crap you're pulling. That's a mistake all on its own. I know you're still not over the shock that I'm having a baby but don't let that get in the way of you and Nami being intimate. That's just stupid. It means you're a pussy."

Sanji really couldn't get used to Robin. She was too laid back and seemed too much like Law. It was just very different from how she normally was and he shuddered at the thought of seeing her upset as a pregnant woman.

"Just let her boil for tonight and by tomorrow she'll simmer to a nice temperature." She said with a smile.

But tomorrow wasn't any different. Nami ate breakfast but only after Sanji and Robin were gone. For lunch she and Robin tried a restaurant that was not too far from Sanji's place. And for dinner, she ate within their company, but she never once looked to Sanji. She did however respond to him in subtle, polite conversations but she never gave him much attention.

The same suit followed for another week and Sanji couldn't stand the thought of letting Nami sleep in the TV room again. He knew how cold that room became at night and he wasn't too thrilled that she chose that place to sleep. He apologized and tried to reconcile the issue many times but she wouldn't hear of it. She would dodge the subject every time it came up. He suggest switching places and she wouldn't respond to that either. So he did the only thing he could do. On the night that was going to start the second week, he had waited for her to fall into a deep slumber and snuck her off into his room, carefully tucking her in and pushing the hair out of her face; and then silently escaped back to the TV room for where he was now going to sleep. If she wasn't going to listen to reason then a form of action was better than nothing.

.

Nami had awoken the next morning in a comfortable position and rolled over stretching her aching limbs from sleeping on the couch.

'_I guess I'm getting very friendly with this couch…'_ she thought dryly.

Upon stretching even further and feeling the cool yet warm bed sheets graze against her bed she noticed the material was different. Sanji different. Nami sat up and opened her eyes seeing she was alone in Sanji's bed and then looked to the clock that read nine fifteen in the morning. Nami couldn't remember for the life of her how she ended up in his room but soon figured it out when she saw a bunch of different colored sticky notes, posted along his bedroom door - forming a heart shaped poster that read 'Took your place. Sorry. Love Sanji…'.

Nami didn't know what to say. After all the crap she threw towards Sanji, he was still caring enough to switch rooms; no matter how much she ignored him. What really warmed her heart was the fact the he was a little creative about it.

She looked around a bit more and noticed her shampoo and body wash, sitting upon the bed side table, and knew right away that Sanji was serious about the switch. It made her stomach drop at how unfair she was being towards him. But she had every right to be upset. Hiding the main reason for someone's absence from you and then having it slap you in the face wasn't something anyone would like. Maybe that's how Sanji felt when she disappeared from school and met back up with them in college...

.

.

Meanwhile downstairs, Robin had been reading one of many books she was able to salvage from the last apartment, waiting for Sanji's return. She had offered to accompany him on an early morning grocery errand but he had refused her kind offer. He only asked for her to keep Nami in the apartment long enough so that he can apologize properly.

A jingle of keys and a wiggle of the door handle fifteen minutes later told Robin that Sanji was home. She slowly turned another page of her book and sipped at the herbal tea she had set onto the coffee table and turned her attention to greet Sanji who entered the room.

"Welcome home San-" she said, stopping in mid sentence.

It was not Sanji who had entered the lavish mansionette, but a tall, muscular, older man with a long mustache braided into two thick strands. The world was filled with many people and this man was certainly one of the many she had never met or encountered before. His hair was blonde but very much aged that it had lost its sheen and luster; almost threatening to turn white at any given moment. His soft yet hard eyes that looked as if he had seen many things to harden his tough exterior glanced around the room and met with Robin who only continued to stare.

He observed her quietly and noticed her creamy skin and intellectual appearance with a history book and respectable looking clothing. He noticed her slender form and thought she was quite the healthy person but then noticed a little bit of tight fabric. For a slender woman she seemed to have a slight pudge forming over what should have been a slim and slender abdominal region. It was the only area that seemed to hold weight and he immediately thought that Sanji was cooking unhealthily.

Robin didn't know what to make of the man as she observed him carefully.

He wore a navy blue polo shirt and white jeans with black leather shoes and one of the newest fashion watches by Pappug, "Sleek and Stunning".

Robin who sat with a questioning look on her face, slowly grabbed for her cell phone cautiously never pulling her attention away from this unknown man.

"I'm not an intruder. I'm here to see my shitty son." The man said gruffly and softened his expression.

He quickly made his way up the stairs as Robin tried to protest.

"Sir, Sanji's not-" she started, but it was too late. He went into Sanji's room so fast she didn't even noticed. How was an old, muscular man that fast?

Robin grabbed for her phone and dialed Sanji's number but was stopped when she saw Sanji walk through the doors, lecturing Robin on keeping the door locked. He placed his bags onto the floor and was about to grab the rest from outside when Robin called to him.

"Sanji! A man just walked in here and-"

"Kyaaaaaaaaaa!" screamed Nami from the second floor.

"Nami!" Sanji shouted and ran upstairs.

As soon as he reached the second floor, the tall, muscular older man flew out of the door and onto his back right before Sanji's feet.

Nami sauntered out with a towel wrapped around her and a her hair sopping wet leaving a water trail across the floor. Nami stood in front of the older man with a glare and a scowl that could scare the devil himself and bent down to grab him by a braided mustache.

"How dare you! You, you pervert! I'm going to rip these off and then I'm going to call the police and-"

"Dad?" Sanji shouted in shock and confusion.

"Dad?" Nami said, confused as she turned to see Sanji's face and then back to the older man.

* * *

**IMPORTANT!**

**Hello everyone! For those of you who have not guessed it, Val is not an OC character but she is really a One Piece character. Valarie Vanlentine. Or Miss Valentine. Yea she didn't have a first name and it would have been weird to call her Miss. Valentine through the entire plot so I thought of something as lame as Valarie aka Val.**

**Sorry the chapter took so long. I had writer's block but now the show can move along since I'm not in a rut anymore! Hooray!**


	27. The Flu, The Birthday, and The Challenge

**Saturday September 1 7:15 am**

After a long talk, worried squabbles, and what seemed like a thousand kisses, Nami and Sanji had made up and returned to a "happy life". At least that's what they wanted to think.

It was a typical morning only with something new included.

"Sanji I'm heading to work now. I already put your clothes in the washer and they'll be done soon so just throw them in the dryer before you leave." Nami called, as she tapped and pressed her foot into her black, low raised heels.

Nami couldn't stand the odd pair of eyes watching her conduct her normal morning routine but she forced herself to ignore them as much as she could.

"Nami wait, its going to rain today. I'll drive you." Sanji beckoned.

"No, its fine. I have my umbrella but its not going to rain. Its just an overcast."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Do you doubt my skills?"

"No but-"

"Then stop worrying. I'm a big girl. I can get to work by myself." said with a smile.

Just as Nami was about to leave, Sanji came from behind her and kissed her cheek lightly.

"I'll drive you." Sanji said in a cool low tone, but the face he held seemed almost desperate to go with her.

"Don't. Its just a ten minute walk." she reassured him.

"All the more reason to-"

"Just shut up and get ready for work." she joked, slapping a hand on his chest.

She opened the door and kissed him lightly on the cheek and suddenly turned her attention towards the tall, stout man, eying her viciously from the top edge of the newspaper.

"Bye Zeff." she cooed, trying to be as friendly as possible, but only received a grumble and a few grunts.

Not even a minute after the door closed behind her, Nami could hear Sanji and Zeff, arguing in a way that would cause the floor beneath her feet to collapse if they were any louder.

Things weren't easy now that Zeff moved in too. Nami was constantly monitored in her daily routines, personality, and habits and Zeff always seemed to be dissatisfied with her. Thinking back on how things came to this, Nami shuddered and grimaced at what happened after partially beating up Zeff and threatened to rip of his braided mustache.

.

_**Flashback 4 days ago**_

It was awkward. Nami was wearing a robe over her towel and sat upon the couch in the main room, with arms folded tightly and a scowl on her face. Robin sat next to her with a calm expression, a proper posture, and her hands laid gently on her lap.

Sanji stood behind the women with his hands resting on the back of the couch and watched as the man he called 'dad' sat across from them, holding an ice pack to his head. With a loud huff he tossed the bag of ice onto the coffee table and popped a pack of cigarettes from his pocket quickly and skillfully, ready to puff away at his irritation.

"No smoking shitty geezer." Sanji grunted.

"Do you have any idea whose place this was before you took over? I can smoke if I please." the man grunted.

"Can't have you smoking in here." Sanji ordered.

"And why not?"

Sanji placed a hand on Robin's shoulder and looked to his father seriously.

"Because this lovely lady here is expecting a child."

The older man eyed Robin from head to toe and took in her appearance once more. A very calm expression, proper posture, and well dressed. Quite beautiful he mentally added and found himself nodding to himself.

"I apologize for the inconvenience. I could leave the room if you'd like Mr.-" Robin said, but was cut off as the older man help up a hand.

"Nonsense!" he roared in excitement. "Call me Zeff. Or better yet, please call me father!"

He stood from his seat and made his way towards a confused Robin, gently taking her hand in his.

"I was wondering why my no good shitty son said 'no' to Val but I can see why! You are quite the beauty!" he beamed.

Everyone in the room was shocked at his sudden personality change and large misunderstanding and felt that he needed to be corrected before things got out of hand.

"Ah, no I'm not-" Robin said, but was cut off again.

"No need to be humble!" he beamed.

But things certainly grew ugly fast.

"Sanji! I'm disappointed in you, you shameless, shitty eggplant! To think you made a stunning woman pregnant! I thought you were better than that! I thought I raised you better than that! You better take responsibility!"

He stood up and walked over to him while pointing a finger at Nami.

"And who is this woman? You let her shower in your bedroom? There are two other perfectly fine showers if I remember correctly! If you're sharing that room with your girlfriend, you don't let other women shower in there!"

"Hey! Stop with the lectures shitty geezer! This is my place now! Its fine! Nami can use my shower as she pleases because she shares the room with me!"

"Sanji! I'm ashamed of you! You made a woman pregnant and you're sharing a room with that violent woman? What is the matter with you?" Zeff scorned.

"What are you talking about? You're making your own assumptions! They're best friends and-"

"That's even worse! That's so shameful!" Zeff shouted.

"What is shameful about it? _Nami_ is my girlfriend and _Robin_ is our friend! Learn about the situation first before throwing assumptions everywhere!" Sanji shouted back.

On and on they fought until Zeff understood Nami and Robin's situation. Zeff found himself sympathizing with them, but mainly with Robin. He clearly showed his disapproval towards Nami and practically forced himself to move into his old study to monitor Nami's every move.

Zeff's study upstairs was much larger than Sanji's study downstairs, and allowed more than enough space for the sofa to pull out into a bed. A perfect solution for the long nights he couldn't leave his study but the worst solution to Nami and Sanji's predicament.

_**End of Flashback**_

_**.  
**_

Which brings us back to the problem at hand. Zeff. No one knew how long he was staying with them and everyday seemed to be taking a toll on Nami and Sanji. Four days was way too long and Nami and Sanji wanted him gone. If only there was a way to make him leave. He did cook and clean while he was there, and he seemed to spoil Robin to the core like Sanji normally did with her and Nami, but it was only Robin he seemed to be really affectionate towards.

'_Well he sure picked his favorite…'_ Nami thought dryly.

* * *

**5:27 pm**

Nami painstakingly dragged her feet to the front door and jiggled the handle to see it was unlocked and let herself in. Straight ahead of her, Zeff had been writing a few memos down and Sanji was doing the same. Both sitting upright with thoughtful, hard expressions on their faces.

Nami didn't know what was going on but she didn't want to stick around to find out until Sanji cleared his throat and glanced her way.

"You're late." he said tiredly.

"I called but you didn't answer." she said quietly.

"No you didn't."

"Yes I did…three times. I left two voice messages telling you I was working overtime. Don't tell me your phone is on silent again." she groaned tiredly.

Sanji quickly stood from his seat and pulled the phone from his pocket seeing three missed calls and two voice mails and his face fell low.

"Nami sorry I-"

"Its ok. Don't worry about it. You're busy so its understandable. Did you remember to sign up for your classes today?"

Sanji dropped himself onto the couch and sighed heavily, which told Nami he forgot.

"Sanji, you do know that classes start in two weeks right?"

Sanji didn't say anything. Instead he nodded and made his way towards his study when Nami spoke up.

"You're welcome. I signed up for you two weeks ago. I placed this semester's catalog next to the printer. The orange highlights are my classes, the purple are Robin's and the blue ones are yours. Green is the classes we're taking together. Go take a look." she exhaled.

In an upbeat motion, Sanji ran to Nami and kissed her cheek and ran into his study shouting 'thanks' along the way.

Zeff only raised a brow and glared towards Nami.

"You're taking classes together?"

"Just a few prerequisites. It makes transportation easier for the time being."

"You seem to have it all together." he grumbled.

Nami didn't pay too much mind to his tone but she couldn't help but let the corners of her lips raise. Nami could tell that as much as Zeff didn't like her, or want to willingly accept her, somewhere, somehow, she was growing on Zeff. But then she found herself feeling a little worn and somewhat crestfallen as she played a tired smile.

"Someone has to have it together. School is important and I won't let Sanji miss a semester because of simply forgetting."

Zeff raised his brows and analytically stared at Nami who didn't look his way or even notice him. She looked tired standing with her arms folded, looking towards Sanji's study. The smile on her lips were very loving and tired and Zeff narrowed his eyes and brows again.

* * *

**September 24 5:30 pm**

"First week of school done!" Nami groaned as she dumped herself onto the long couch in the main sitting room.

"I agree, that was a stressful week." Robin exhaled.

"I don't want to go back…" Sanji wailed.

"Sanji don't say that." Nami grumbled as she buried her face into the couch.

Robin smiled gently and made her way up to her room as Sanji walked towards Nami and climbed onto the free space of the couch, laying with her as best as he could.

"Sanji there's not enough room." Nami groaned playfully.

Sanji smiled contently and pressed his body close to hers, pressing her towards the back of the couch.

"Oh look there's suddenly more room now." he beamed as he wrapped his arm over her waist and kissed her lips gently. His arm around her tightened and pulled her into him so close it felt like she couldn't breathe.

"Sanji?" she asked with concern. His actions felt really nice but something about it felt off.

"Hmm?" he hummed tiredly.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing…"

"Nothing means something."

"…"

"Not telling me things makes me mad." she warned in a playful tone.

"…"

"Is it about work and school?" she asked, almost as if she were talking to a child.

Sanji shook his head and Nami could figure the few guesses left.

"Val?"

"Ugh don't say her name…and no."

"Ok its about your dad. Speaking of which, he might be coming home soon so we need to disentangle pronto." she giggled.

"Nami how does he not bother you? I feel like you and I are strangers now that he's moved in. I can't kiss you as I please and-"

"Sanji…" Nami said sadly. "Family members are supposed to bother you…get on your nerves… Look at Luffy and those guys."

Nami knew where Sanji was going to take this conversation and it saddened her. Sanji shouldn't have been complaining at all that there was still family left for him.

"Nami, you know what I mean. He's invading our privacy. All we do is argue and-"

Nami placed a finger on his lips and wiggled herself out of his grasp, pushing her and Sanji to sit up and talk.

"Sanji, he's your dad. He's just worried."

"No he's a pain in the ass and-"

"Sanji!" Nami hissed, catching him completely off guard. "He's your father. You already know how he shows his affection towards you. Don't hate on him."

"Nami…I'm not hating on him…he's…he's been here too long and I know you're feeling neglected. It pisses me off that he can't just accept you and get to know you."

Nami didn't deny nor did she admit it. Sanji had hit the nail on the head but this was about Sanji and his father. Not her feelings.

"Sanji…family is important. Enjoy your time with them before its too late." she said sadly. "Its obvious you both argue about me and I don't want to be what tears you apart."

"Nami, are-"

"Sanji, you don't have to spare my feelings. I know you fight with him because you're with me. I left a bad first impression and that won't change. Sure he's stubborn but its for your sake. You're his precious little _eggplant_." she said, faking a smile and grabbing her things from the floor.

"Don't forget, we're going grocery shopping later."

* * *

**Friday, September 28 4:12pm**

"Sanji stop!" Nami giggled and squealed, and tried to squirm from Sanji's grasp.

"Not until you tell me the answer to number four."

Sanji had continued to tickle Nami as they watched TV and she couldn't take it. Quickly pinching at his chest, she was able to pull away from his grasp and make it to the door with Sanji catching and hugging onto her tightly, shifting into the hallway. The ever lasting giggles and chuckles filling the entire apartment soon turned quiet as Sanji turned Nami and engaged in a heated kiss.

Tongues hungrily wrapping around one another set Nami's body on fire and only made her frustrations and desire for Sanji even worse. She needed to feel herself against him. As Sanji pressed her into the wall, Nami pushed her hips into Sanji, and desperately clung to him as if her life were in danger. The strength of her arms around the back of his neck tightened as she desperately tried to press herself into him more and more and the sloppy, hungry, passionate kisses weren't helping her case get any easier. She wanted very much to rip her shirt off right there and then but she couldn't find it in her, at least not right now. Not only were they in the hallway of the second floor, they were in plain view for the whole apartment to see, but she didn't have the confidence to. Robin wasn't home and neither was Zeff, so it shouldn't have hindered her from stripping…or so she thought.

A coughing and heavy clearing of the throat stopped Nami and Sanji in their tracks to look down into the kitchen, and see Zeff, peeling potatoes with a glare. When did Zeff come back? Why didn't he say anything as they came out? Why was he just staring and glaring? The questions raced around Nami's brain and felt embarrassed that she was trying to rub herself against Sanji in plain, center view of Sanji's father.

Quickly untangling from one another's grasp, Nami hurried back into the TV room and Sanji nervously made his way into his bedroom, purposely avoiding Zeff's scrutinizing glare.

* * *

**October 1st**

"_I'm kicking him out." Sanji growled. _

"_Sanji, just wait it out. I'm sure he'll leave soon." Nami tiredly reassured him. _

"_No! A month is too long Nami! He's even hanging around All Blue."_

"_He does still own the place…" she corrected.  
_

_Sanji opened his mouth to say something and pouted immediately. Nami had a point but school, work, and the stress of always arguing with him for Nami's sake was taking a lot of out him. He was feeling tired of it all. _

Pushing last night's conversation out of his head, Sanji cracked his eyes open to the sound of the alarm clock and swatted it to the floor after a heavy press against the off button. The sound of the plastic cracking and breaking against his hard wood floors told him he broke it and would need to replace it by Sunday. Feeling Nami shuffle up from where she laid, equally as sleepy, Sanji pulled the sheets around him even more feeling the cool air brush against his skin, causing his skin and hair to raise at the new found sensitivity.

Muttering under his breath about changing the temperature on the thermostat, Nami had quietly and quickly sneaked her way to the bathroom without so much as a click or a clank from the door or bounce against the bed. Sanji felt tired. Too tired. He just wanted to sleep more but he couldn't. Saturday mornings were delivery days and he had to be at the restaurant even earlier for inventory. No doubt his father was there already but Sanji felt like sleeping a few extra minutes before the alarm on his cell phone from across the way would ring. But as tired as he was, he couldn't go back to sleep. It felt too painful and irritating to. Instead, he sluggishly and agonizingly pushed himself to sit at the edge of the bed, shivering against the freezing floorboard and stood, hearing Nami exit the bathroom. Not even able to process how tired he was, he lifted his foot to take a step and found himself collapsing against the floor with a wide yawn and a doped out grin on his face.

"Sanji!" Nami shrieked as she ran to his side.

"It hurts." he mumbled against the floor.

"Of course it does! You just fell face down! Are you ok?"

"I'm just tired. And I didn't fall. The floor just needed a hug." he grumbled, pushing himself up and sleepily staggered to the bathroom for a long shower to wake him up.

Nami didn't say anything as she understood mornings like this. But it was weird. The only thing she could think of was that work was really tiresome along with school.

"Maybe you should stay home and sleep." she called out, over the sound of the roaring shower.

"Delivery day is today! Besides I can't let the shitty old timer boss me around in one of my sanctuaries!" he called back.

And Nami left it at that for now. Arguing about it would have only caused more stress for Sanji and she didn't want that. He was growing bags and dark circles in his eyes, his hair was losing its normal sheen, and he was easier to upset. Sanji would never get mad at her directly unless it was something important, and with all this stress and irritability, Sanji had been somewhat avoiding Nami. But she was going to hold on. Someone needed to. After all their arguments, they've come too far to let stress drive them apart. Even if most of that stress was from his father.

Seeing Sanji exit his shower in a pair of clean boxers and a towel slumped over the back of his neck, Sanji kept his back faced to Nami as he sluggishly pulled his clothes from the closet. Nami watched him with careful, desperate eyes but saw something unusual. Scars. Nami had no idea why there were scars along the lower part of his back and trailed up towards the center of his spine. Why? Why where there scars there? Nami had never noticed them before.

Walking over to Sanji, she slowly traced her fingers over the patch of light, thin scars over his back, causing Sanji to shiver and jump a little where he stood.

"Nami?" he asked confusedly.

Nami didn't say anything. She continued to trace the scars ever so gently as she feared they were fragile, even though they looked long over healed.

"Nami?" he asked again.

"How did you get these? I've never noticed them before."

"…I've never showed them to you." he said nonchalantly and yawned long and loud.

"…but how did you get these?" she asked solemnly.

Dropping his towel to the floor and flinging a yellow button up shirt over his back he sighed heavily and buttoned his shirt in a rush.

"Its a stupid story." he hushed, not wanting to go any further into detail.

Nami didn't argue or pursue the question any farther. Sanji was already irritable and she didn't want to push his buttons over something that probably wasn't what he wanted to talk about. Instead, she pursed her lips and held onto him from behind.

"Nami…" he exhaled.

"Sorry…" she quickly said in a quiet tone.

"What are you sorry for?"

"I didn't mean to annoy you."

"You've done no such thing." he said sleepily. "Can I pull my pants up?" he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Sadly, Nami let go, feeling lonely that very instant. Sanji felt so far away from her and she had no control of it.

'_Just hold out. If no one does then its over…this has to be a test or something…'_ she chanted to herself.

Watching Sanji gather his things and shuffle about the apartment, Nami's eyes sadly followed him until he was about ready to walk out of the door without so much as a good bye.

Worriedly, she ran to him, grabbing his sleeve along the way and pulling him back inside.

Surprised by the sudden pull of his clothing he looked to Nami with curiosity and searched her desperate looking face.

"I…um…" she started and bit her lower lip, looking at him with worry and desperation.

Sanji didn't say anything as he softened his gaze and gave her a loving smile. Kissing her cheek and gently moving her hand from his sleeve he made last kiss move to her lips and looked at her again.

"I'm off." he said cheerfully.

Nami only nodded and let him walk out of the door. Something felt really off about Sanji and Nami couldn't understand why. It was obvious he was tired, stressed, and irritated but something else felt weird about him and she just couldn't figure it out.

"Oh Sanji left already?" called Robin, as she made her way passed Nami and into the kitchen.

With a tired sigh, Nami locked the door and walked back into the main seating area with a quite, "yea…"

* * *

**October 2 6pm**

After another day of Sanji's odd, sluggish behavior, Sanji was unexpectedly brought home by Zeff, who carried Sanji over his shoulders and threw him into the bedroom not so gently.

"Eggplant is sick." Zeff called to Nami, as he made his way down the main stairs.

"I am not sick! I never get sick! Never have and never will!" Sanji wailed and crawled along the floor and down the stairs after Zeff.

"You can't even walk you shitty little prick! Red, " Zeff growled, as he made his way to the door and looked to Nami expectantly, "watch after him. I'm going back to the restaurant."

"I said I'm fine you shitty-" Sanji started, but felt himself come short of breath as he let a cough escape his lips. "Old man! I'm going with you!"

"In your dreams. Eat and sleep. You're sick."

"Am not! I've never been sick ever!" Sanji croaked.

"You're crawling. You're not going to touch food after touching the floor. You're disgusting. That's a health code violation you shitty brat."

Sanji crawled over to the kitchen counter and tried his best to pull himself to his feet, with unsteady knees knocking against one another dangerously.

"You know better than I do that those floors are so clean you could eat off of them!" he coughed.

Zeff paid no mind to Sanji as he tried to stagger towards the door, falling face first into the smooth hardwood floors. Instinctively, Nami ran to his side with worry and concern to find Sanji grumbling to himself as Zeff was about to close the door behind him.

"Damn floor just loves hugs doesn't it…" Sanji cursed.

"Red, take care of him. You're his girlfriend aren't you?" he scoffed.

With nothing left to be said, Zeff closed the door, leaving Nami and a sick Sanji in the middle of the floor.

"Just wait old timer…I'm right behind you."

"No you're not." Nami butted in with a stern tone and an angry expression. "Bed. Now."

"But I'm not sick!" Sanji whined.

"Yea I'm a mermaid. Come on." she grunted, pulling Sanji by arms, trying her best to get him to his feet.

It was hard. Sanji was too heavy for her and Nami felt as if he was going to be the reason for possible back trauma. Desperately, and slowly, she slumped him over her back, and dragged him across the floor despite his protests. Not even five steps up the stairs she felt winded and out of shape, heaving heavy breaths and gasping for air.

Sanji had tried to squirm off of her, telling her he would be going back to work, but he only received insults and pinches against his arms as Nami continued to do her best at hauling Sanji up the stairs.

"You're. Heavy." she gasped between breaths as she realized she was almost at the top of the steps.

"Sorry."

"For basic nursing fees, I'm charging you sixty Beli for every day you're sick. Everything else like changing you, helping you shower, puke cleanup etc is an additional ten Beli." she gasped in a jokingly manner.

"Mhm. I can deal with that." he coughed against her ear, sending chills of grossness and disgust down her spine. The scent of his breath was vile and Nami tried her best to hold her breath. It made her skin crawl, it made her stomach roll, and it burned her nose and brought tears to her eyes. Sanji always brushed his teeth frequently but the fact that the odor was so foul, so deadly, Nami knew the back of his throat was a breeding ground for only god knew what in his moment of illness.

Finally passing the entrance of the room she shared with Sanji, she desperately quickened her pace and, in tune with Zeff's earlier action, tossed him onto the bed in a not so gentle manner; hastily grabbing for clothes to change Sanji into.

Trying to sit up and roll to the end of the bed, Sanji fell back into the spot where Nami tossed him and sighed. He felt too tired and too weak to move. But worst of all he felt useless. He had never felt this down before. He had never gotten sick before and had never understood the feeling as he silently watched or cared for others who became sick. But now that he knew, he hated it. It made him feel like less of a man.

Nami brought him a change of clothes and argued with a childish Sanji, trying to force himself to leave the room but always fell victim to Nami pinning him down.

"A sick Sanji is definitely a fun Sanji." she giggled mischievously as she could pin him down and push him around without much struggle. She slipped off his blue and white, pinstripe button down shirt and pulled a black, long sleeve shirt over his head.

"I'll be fine tomorrow." he grumbled, slipping his arms into the appropriate holes Nami had set out for him.

"Of course I'll take notes for you and get extra handouts and assignments for the rest of the week." she beamed, ignoring his statement as she helped him remove his slacks.

"Nami I mean it" he coughed.

"Sure thing. I'll be sure to send Zoro your love." she beamed again, as if Sanji were asking her for favors.

"Hey, listen when people are talking to you. And that's a sick joke."

"Ah yes, I'll turn in your homework as well."

"Nami…" Sanji pouted as Nami finished helping him with his clothes and pulled the sheets over him.

"Hm?" she hummed.

"What do you want for dinner?" he coughed, tried his best to push up from under the blankets and bed sheets Nami had held to tightly over him.

"Don't worry about it. Robin and I survived cooking for ourselves back in our old apartment. What about you? Do you think you can stomach anything? I can make you something if you want to eat. Or do you want to sleep?"

Sanji said nothing as he looked at Nami with surprised and tired filled eyes. Nami? Cook? Now that he thought about it, Sanji had never seen Nami cook anything let alone taste anything she made. Was Nami really going to cook something for him? A flush came across his face as he imagined Nami cooking a loving, home cooked meal in nothing but an apron, but quickly shook the idea away fast as Nami placed a cool hand against his forehead.

"Geez Sanji you're hot."

"Why thank you." he joked, playing a stupid smile on his face.

"Shut up. Do you want to eat or not?"

"I don't want to trouble you." he said humbly.

"Ok that means, please make me some soup." she confirmed, nodding her head to herself and leaving the room quickly.

"No Nami really-"

Nami was gone, faster than Sanji could even muster a complete sentence. Should he wait for her? Should he try to stop her? Its not that Sanji didn't want to see her cook for him or taste what she could make, but he had an issue with how he ran his kitchen. He was too meticulous about where he kept everything so he always took care of cooking and putting the dishes away. Nami would offer to help but in the end, she would have only washed the dishes for him or watched.

Hearing the pots and pans clink, clank, bang, and clash against one another made Sanji's stomach drop. In the restaurant, he had no issues hearing those sounds but at home, that was as a different story. This was his own, personal cookware Nami seemed to have been beating around but he had to hold on. Maybe things weren't as bad as he thought. Maybe he was overacting to the sounds he heard. Nami wouldn't damage his property on purpose. She was making a loving soup for him. Yes. A delicate, loving soup to make him feel better. He hoped.

Twenty minutes of waiting didn't bother Sanji, but hearing Nami curse and seeing a light smoke arise through the open bedroom door bothered him a lot. Luckily it wasn't bad or heavy enough to cause the smoke alarm to go off, but Sanji could only worry about Nami burning or hurting herself or ruining his kitchen. He gulped deeply as he heard more clanking around and this time it sounded like glass was breaking or cracking. Sanji couldn't help but worry about the state of his kitchen, cookware, or dishes.

It was unbearable and Sanji's fears were creeping around the back of his mind for a good five minutes before Nami came into the room with a tray of steaming, love filled soup.

As she placed the tray over his lap and helped him sit up, Sanji saw the most, _interesting_, display of soup he had ever seen. It was black, and bubbling like tar. He couldn't smell a thing but he could feel the heat and see the image of death hanging around it. He had no clue what he was about to eat but his policy was to never waste food. Though in this case he felt like he could, maybe just this once.

Nami sat next to him with a smile and an eager face, urging him to give it a taste and Sanji swallowed down everything dry in his mouth which caused his throat to throb and scream at him. He was about to eat tar wasn't he? He began to pity his throat and swallowed at the dry nothingness again. Plunging a spoon into the 'soup' carefully, he lifted it with difficulty. Not because of how weak he was, but because of how thick the contents of the soup really was. He saw what looked like beans and bean sprouts and chunks of only god knew what and looked to Nami nervously.

"Try it." she urged with the same eager face she wore when she came in. "If you really want to be up and moving, it won't be by tomorrow but I can guarantee you in three days you'll feel alive and well."

With a nod and shaking hand, Sanji brought the 'soup' closer to his lips and decided it probably tasted better than it looked. But to his surprise he couldn't taste a thing. It was hot, thick, smooth, and felt just like he thought. It was like swallowing a heated spoonful of tar and it burned the back of his throat as it slowly slid down his throat and into his stomach, leaving a light feeling at first, but then it soon hit him when he least expected it; expanding and feeling heavy in his stomach. He didn't have the heart to tell her it made him feel worse. If the food had this much effect on his body he could only thank the heavens that he couldn't smell or taste anything at the moment. He wasn't going to say anything. He couldn't. Especially since she was nice enough to make it. Especially when his father made the snide remark, "You're his girlfriend aren't you?". What the hell was he implying?

Sanji looked to Nami again and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry Nami, I guess I'm not so hungry right now... I also can't taste or smell at the moment…"

"No problem. Its understandable. I'll just wrap it up for you and re-heat it when you want it. Just try to get some sleep."

Sanji only nodded as if he were a child and let Nami take the 'soup' or what ever it was away before collapsing his back into the bed and curling into a ball, praying he wouldn't eat it again. It felt too heavy on him now. What the hell was that thing made of and was he going to die?

"I'm not going to die…" he grumbled, though as it left his lips it sounded more like a question and a plea.

Sanji hadn't noticed Nami enter the room again until she dragged a small bucket to the side of his bed and sat down at the edge close to Sanji.

"You're not going to die." she laughed softly. "Don't be a baby. Everyone gets sick."

"Not me…" he grumbled and curled into the blanket even more. Though he was referring to how he felt after eating Nami's food, he wasn't going to say that to her. Instead he shuddered and looked up to Nami with tired eyes.

Nami sighed as her expression grew soft and affectionate. Bringing a hand up to Sanji's face, she traced his cheek before gently stroking through his hair in slow, soothing motions. The way her nails barely touched his scalp tickled but when she ran her finger tips over that same spot, it felt relaxing and comforting. It made the terrible feeling in his stomach seem not as bad as her fingers worked more gentle caresses into his hair.

"Why are you playing with my hair?" he asked with a drowsy slur.

"Because it feels good when you're sick." she giggled.

"Hmm…"

Nami continued her ministrations with his hair as he continued to talk to her.

"I feel shitty."

"Of course you do. How many times do you need to be reminded that you're sick?"

"I don't want to get sick ever again."

Nami sighed and changed the motions of her fingers to swirl in little circles. "I hate to break it to you but you'll get sick again."

"Are you trying to curse me?" he mused.

"No, I'm just saying it happens to everyone."

"Not me. This is the first time I've been sick…"

"Really?" she asked with genuine surprise and the tone of intrigue playing at the edge of her voice.

"Hmm." he hummed in confirmation.

"Well I'm sorry I'm not a monster like you or Zoro and Luffy." she deadpanned, sticking her tongue at him.

"Oh yea speaking of Luffy have you met his lady friend yet?"

"Are we talking about the same lady friend who cause troubles and turbulence for Robin and Zoro?"

"The very one." he sang softly.

"No, I haven't. I don't think I want to."

"I don't think you want to either." he chuckled

"And why is that?" Nami mused.

"She's quite beautiful and an heiress…" Sanji said, almost falling asleep before finishing his sentence.

"Oh? So you were eying her?"

"Nami, you know I only look at you." he sighed. "Although she's classy and has money, she's the main model and bartender for Club Amazon. But…"

"But?"

And that was the end of the conversation. Sanji had fallen asleep and let the soft snores escape each time he inhaled. Withdrawing her hand from Sanji's hair, Nami quietly moved about the room, grabbing extra sheets, her pillows, and a blanket for the 'bed' that was soon to be hers for the next couple of days; the couch in the TV room. The last thing she wanted to do was bother Sanji while he was sick so she figured, 'why not sleep in another room?'.

.

After setting up her newest station for the next few days, Nami exited the TV room with the chore of cleaning up the mess she left behind in the kitchen until she noticed something that caught her eyes. Her stomach dropped as she saw Zeff grabbing a bowl of the soup she had just made and Nami quickly made her way downstairs.

"Zeff." she quickly said. "_As much as I'd like to cook for you," _she said sarcastically, "please don't eat that."

Cocking a brow and openly frowning to her, Zeff gave her the look up and grabbed for a spoon.

"I'm serious Zeff. I'll make something else for you, that is, if you don't feel insulted."

"Why can't I eat this?" he grunted, pointing to the contents of the bowl with his spoon.

"Because its for sick people. That does nothing but flush you out and rids your body of toxins. Unless you want to befriend the toilet tonight I suggest you put the bowl down." she lectured with hands on her hips as if she were talking to a child and an authoritative tone.

Thinking about her words carefully and making absolute eye contact, Zeff slowly placed the bowl onto the counter and examined the ridiculous mess left behind.

"Sanji's going to be upset when he sees this." Zeff scoffed as he walked to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup of luke warm coffee.

"I never said I wasn't going to clean it up." she defended. "While I'm making use of the kitchen do you want me to cook you anything?"

"Will it look like that pot of tar?" he joked harshly.

Joked. Were Nami's ears deceiving her? Did Zeff just joke with her like he did with Sanji? Nami looked to Zeff with disbelief written all over her face and soon found herself smiling.

"Of course not. What do you want?"

"You decide." he spat.

'_So much for bonding…'_ she thought bitterly.

Quickly cleaning the spills off of the counter, the stove, and the floor, Nami quickly washed at the used cookware and thought at the speed of light. What the hell was she going to cook for Zeff? He was a renowned chef for crying out loud. He and Sanji practically tried to out-cook one another during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Her meals were decent. No one died and no one complained. Robin complimented her before but Nami could tell she was just being a good friend.

'_Robin…'_ Nami thought pleadingly. She was spending the night at Zoro's and Nami had not expected to be alone with Zeff at all. It was obvious Zeff favored her over Nami and the mood was always lighter with her around. Stealing occasional glances at Zeff only made her feel even more uncomfortable as he oozed out a heavy, angry atmosphere.

Glancing at the clock against the wall it read seven forty five in the evening and Nami wasn't sure just what the hell she was going to prepare. Scanning the fridge and freezer for what she didn't use, she came to the conclusion of simple oven baked chicken breasts with tomatoes and cucumbers cut into a salsa sauce. It was fast, it was simple, and it tasted fine. Quickly taking some already defrosted chicken breasts from the fridge, Nami began to work, quietly and diligently through the awkward, heavy atmosphere. Nami could feel Zeff watching her every move and it only put unnecessary pressure on her to do well.

Multitasking along the way, Nami thought, _'This is my chance to make a better impression.'_ and nodded in agreement with herself.

"Will the restaurant be ok without Sanji?" she asked, making an effort to strike a conversation.

"He's gone for hours on end when he goes to school right?" he grunted, as if he were making an all knowing statement that pissed off Nami.

"Ah...You have a point."

"…"

"…"

'_This is awkward…and so painful…'_ Nami wailed mentally.

"How are you enjoying life being back in NW City?"

"Its the same shit hole as before. A few new stores, lots of old faces. Its still the same."

"…"

"…"

Nami left it at that. It was completely difficult trying to talk to the man but she felt like she shouldn't give up. If he hated her he wouldn't have let her make something for him and he wouldn't be answering her questions. There had to be some line of acceptance that Nami could grab onto.

Placing the breaded chicken breasts into the oven, Nami quickly began to make a light salsa mix for the chicken as she boiled some chopped carrots.

"About Sanji…what happened at work?"

"He's sick. Isn't it obvious? I thought you heard the bickering before I left?"

Nami gritted her teeth and cursed quiet, inaudible words. She was trying her best to have a conversation with Zeff but he kept shooting down her attempts with snide or condescending remarks.

"Yes I know he's sick but what happened? Was he coughing on the food? Throwing up?"

"He collapsed and knocked a row of entrées onto the floor."

"And you didn't take him to the hospital?" Nami gritted as her tone raised an octave.

"He's fine. Its just the flu."

Not able to stand the way Zeff was treating the conversation with her and about Sanji she couldn't help but slightly get nasty.

"Zeff, you're a real jerk you know that?" she spat, as she began to cut green onions for the topping of her dish. "Sanji's never been sick before, or so he says, and you bring him home instead of a hospital? Either he has one hell of an amazing immunity or a really bad one and he's only been lucky to not have gotten sick." she chided.

"Red, you're over reacting."

"No, I'm not. This is serious and you're playing it off as nothing." she huffed and pulled the chicken from the oven.

Upset and irritated from her conversation with Zeff, Nami placed the food carefully onto the plate and decorated it as best as she could before placing it into the table.

"Its nothing fancy and its probably an insult to your taste buds. You can do what you want with it, I don't care. I'm going to go and check on Sanji." she said nonchalantly and bitterly as she set the table and left back upstairs.

Leaving Zeff alone with a plate that looked like road kill, he tentatively poked at the dish with his fork, unsure of just what it was. It looked like death but it smelled appealing. The chicken breasts were burnt, the tomato and cucumber salsa Nami made for the sauce was an interesting shade of white and red and very chunky, the lemon juice she squeezed over it was messy and flooded, and the carrots were over cooked and mushy. The plate was a disaster scene but as a chef, he wouldn't base it solely on appearance.

After slowly taking a few bites of what was given to him, he tried his best to taste the meal and judge it carefully. Zeff had nothing to do other than put his fork back down and curse under his breath.

"What the hell did I just taste?" he grimaced, and looked up to the second floor towards Sanji's room.

* * *

**Friday October 5 10:32 AM**

Walking around the house was simple enough for Sanji but it was boring. He couldn't cook or come up with anything new because he couldn't smell or taste a thing yet. He was over and done with watching TV and he couldn't read any of the books he had finished. The excitement of the legends and the adventures weren't there anymore. He was stuck. He wanted so badly to at least go to work but Nami had made it very clear she'd beat him up if he did.

He was feeling exceptionally better thanks to Nami's nursing skills but he had to wonder about that soup she forced him to eat. Falling victim to hurling spells and extreme diarrhea each time he ate it, he wondered if what she made him was really poisonous or not. Shrugging to himself, he decided he should cook something as he heard the cat like shrill of his stomach. It didn't matter that he couldn't taste or smell. As long as he shoved food into his stomach he should be fine.

Checking the fridge and freezer to see nothing but water and that 'soup' left in the fridge Sanji shuddered and grimaced at the sight of an empty fridge. He never let his fridge look like this and wondered what his father had been doing as well. The guy practically got him into the habit of always having a freshly stocked fridge and would have restocked it while Sanji was 'out of commission'.

Grumbling to himself he ran upstairs to change his clothes and decided to go grocery shopping until he heard his cell phone chime with an elegant tone that he knew belonged to Robin.

Reaching for his phone he cleared his throat and pressed 'talk'.

"Hello?" he beamed.

_"Sanji, its Nami. All classes were canceled for today due to a bomb scare. Robin and I are going to go grocery shopping to restock your fridge."_

"I'll come get you guys."

_"No its fine. The bus was the faster choice. Just rest and we'll be home for lunch. I'll make something else for you since you don't need to eat the soup anymore."_

The soup. Sanji shuddered as she mentioned the pot of dry tar that laid at the bottom of the pot in his fridge.

"Do you want me to toss it? Save it?" he asked, though he dreaded asking it. He never wasted food but this, the torturous soup, he had to.

_"I'll take care of it. There's a special way you have to clean it or it'll ruin your pot so don't touch it. Besides, today is the expiration date so don't save it. Just wait for me to come home to clean it."_

"Its going to ruin my pot?" he gulped.

_"Only if you clean it the wrong way. Just leave it for me to take care of. If you're hungry there are still sealed fruit cups in the pantry and those are perfect to get you started on solid foods."_

Get him started on solid foods? That tar-like soup was nothing but solid. Was Nami out of her mind or something?

"Ok. I'll do that and wait for you then. And Nami.."

_"Hmm?"_

"Be safe."

_"I will. Who do you think you're talking to?"_ she laughed. _"Ok, I'm going now. The bus just stopped. See you later."_

"Alright. Bye."

* * *

**11:24 am**

Sanji sighed in appreciation that it was Robin who cooked lunch as Nami cleared out the tar-like soup from the pot. As much as Sanji loved Nami, he couldn't bring himself to tell her that her food made him feel worse, though it was only the soup he had ever seen her make. Although he still couldn't smell or taste a thing, Sanji knew the flavor of what Robin was making. She had made it before on his birthday last year and his mouth watered at the remembrance of the intoxicating aroma and flavor.

"Ah Sanji, I don't know if you want to go but there's a surprise party we're holding tomorrow." Nami beamed as she poured searing, bubbling water into the pot.

"Surprise party? For?" he asked, racking his brain through all the birthday dates he knew by heart. Zoro's wasn't until November so who was in October?

"Law." she shrugged and squeezed soap into the pot.

Law... Sanji's least favorite person, though he came to respect the man over time. He still didn't like how close he was to Nami and Robin and how he hung around Chopper most of the time but he didn't say anything. He only decided to watch in silence from afar in case things turned ugly.

"Oh..." he said, trying to sound thoughtful, but Nami and Robin knew about his tentativeness towards Law. "What time?"

"We have to be at the restaurant by six thirty to confirm the dinner room but he's supposed to be there by seven."

"Which restaurant?"

"All Blue"

"...Really...?" he asked in disbelief.

It wasn't because Sanji didn't like Law that he was surprised. It was because of the restaurant in choice. All Blue ranged from a familial diner and bar to a high class dinner setting depending on the side of the restaurant you entered from. Even if they booked a party room from the familial side, that was still a little pricey.

"You heard me." Nami said with a smile as Robin let out a small giggle.

"You should have told me and I would have given you the room for free." Sanji said, trying to regain his cool, image.

"Your father gave gave us one already." Robin added sweetly.

"The old fart?"

"The very one." Nami sang.

"And no one told me because?"

"You were sick and you were sleeping. Oh yea by the way your dad moved out yesterday." Nami added as she scrubbed the inside of the pot.

Robin cooked her dish in silence as she listened the conversation and Sanji felt like he heard something foreign. Something so foreign that seemed too good to be true.

"Really?" he asked, almost sounding doubtful.

"Really."

"You're not lying are you?"

"Nope."

A smile slowly crept to Sanji's face as he continued to speak in disbelief.

"No way."

"Way." Nami said with a smile.

"Are you serious? How did you get him to leave?" he exclaimed feeling ecstatic. Just for proof, Sanji had to run to Zeff's Study for proof leaving a laughing Robin and Nami in the kitchen.

"He seems happy." Robin mused.

"Robin, you have no idea."

"On the contrary I do." she sang. "I'm happy for you. Things seemed a little tough for the two of you."

"Yea no kidding." Nami laughed.

"HOLY CRAP! HE'S REALLY GONE!" Sanji cheered as he ran downstairs.

"NO RUNNING!" Nami shouted, but was too late. Three steps away from the bottom of the stairss, Sanji tripped and tumbled along the floor.

"I told you no running! See! You fell flat on your face again!" Nami lecture.

With a goofy smile Sanji looked up to both women and excitedly told them, "No I didn't. The floor just likes hugs."

* * *

**October 6 6:58 pm  
**

"Ouch! Stop stepping on my foot!" Nami growled in the dark.

"Sorry Nami I can't see where I'm standing." Ussop apologized.

"When do we get to eat! I'm huuuuuungry!" Luffy whined.

"They're almost here. Just be patient." Zoro huffed as he continued to hold Luffy

"Hey, isn't it obvious its a surprise party?" Sanji asked sounding uninterested.

"Chopper played it along as a dinner among professors and other doctors. A miniature conference if you think about it." Robin answered.

"And Law is dumb enough to believe that?" Zoro asked.

"No but he'll believe anything Chopper tells him." Nami giggled and Robin too laughed along quietly.

"What?" Zoro and Sanji asked in unison, curious as to what that statement meant.

"Shh! I hear someone coming! This'll be SUUPER!" Franky shouted but was hit over the head quickly.

"Yohohoho this will be fun." Brook whispered.

At exactly seven pm on the dot, the door opened with Chopper leading Law in and turning on the light with party poppers going off in Law's face.

"Surprise!" Everyone shouted, except for Sanji and Zoro, who felt too cool to shout 'surprise'. Multiple flashes of light went off almost blinding the two young men at the door from the motion set cameras Brook and Franky held onto.

Law took a moment to absorb the situation and glanced around the room.

"What?" he asked in a confused tone.

"Happy Birthday!" Chopper sang as he popped his very own party popper onto Law, letting the confetti fall into his hair and onto his shoulders.

"Ah so its that time of year again." he sighed. "I'm getting old."

"Nonsense! You don't look a day over twenty! now lets eat!" Luffy complimented and tried to make a dive for the food laid across the table.

"Oh no you don't." Zoro grunted as Luffy squirmed within his grasp. "Oi, a little help here curly brow."

"Call me that again and I won't help." Sanji grumbled as he came to Zoro's aide.

Chopper immediately brought the Law to his designated birthday seat and sat him down in plain view for everyone to see. It was uncomfortable for Law seeing as though he had never been the center of attention like this before and looked to Chopper, unsure of what do to while a hungry Luffy whined and complained in the background.

"...I really don't know what to say..." he said stiffly.

"Say thank you." Nami smiled slyly.

"It was _all_ Chopper's idea." Robin smiled equally as sly to Law.

Law looked at Chopper again as noticed the wide grin that played across his face. Before Law could express his words of 'thanks' Chopper immediately burst into a frantic, embarrassed mode.

"Shut up! I don't need your thanks you jerk! It doesn't make me happy in the least." he laughed and sat down next to Law.

"I'm very welcomed...ok..." Law said, confirming the choice of words and actions he grew familiar with over the time he had gotten to know Chopper and patted the top of his head.

"FOOD!" Luffy roared.

"Can't you be considerate just this once!" Ussop growled.

"Yohoho I think we should commence the evening before Luffy breaks free!" Brook cheered.

.

The dinner was, interesting, in Law's opinion. He found himself laughing, arguing with Luffy over food and his health, getting pranked and trolled by Franky, Brook and Ussop, and overall enjoying himself more than he had in the last couple of years. There wasn't a need for gifts that could fade or become lost. The time he spent this evening was more than enough for him to appreciate though he would never say that out loud.

Drinking from the glass of beer he was handed by Nami he patted the top of Chopper's head again.

"Thanks...really..." he muttered between spells of chugging his beer down.

Chopper only nodded with a smile and felt his face heat with embarrassment as he went on about how he didn't need appraisal and that Law was a good for nothing jerk.

The night carried on and it wasn't until around nine when they heard a woman shouting from the hallway outside of the room, and in an unexpected burst through the door, the ever so familiar blonde crashed the party.

"Sanji!" she yelled as she searched the room to see Luffy and Sanji stretching each others cheeks in an argument over a birthday cake.

"What are you doing here Val?" Sanji warned.

"Where is she?" she demanded.

"Who?" Sanji asked with irritation.

"Red!"

Just as soon as she called 'red', Nami had walked into the room with Robin next to her after making a powder room break.

"What the-" Nami growled, the moment she saw Val standing before her.

"Just the person I came to see." Val sneered.

"What are you doing here? This is a private party." Nami hissed.

"I refuse to hand Sanji over to you! So I, the ever so stunning Val, came to declare war against you, the frumpy red headed troll. Because of my busy schedule, I have decided to give you my precious time and challenge you to a cook off on Christmas Eve!"

* * *

**Sorry this is soooo late! I had a hard time trying to compile this chapter so that it would fit within the huge plot I'm going to throw your way hahaha. Also, school has been a b**** and a half. I can't tell you how much my brain feels fried. I need to take a semester off or something.  
**

**Hope you all liked this chapter. Sorry its sooo late!  
**

**-Rusala  
**


	28. Yes

**October 12 8:30 pm**

"Just let me-" Nami gritted.

"No!" Sanji yelped as he tried his best to pull away from Nami.

"Just hold still Sanji!" Nami hissed as she launched herself onto Sanji's waist to keep him from running.

"No means no!"

"Its not going to hurt you at all!"

"Of course its not but I said no!" he wailed and tried his best to wiggle from her viper like hug.

"You shouldn't be objecting!" she argued and squeezed her arms around his waist tighter, falling onto the bed in the process.

"I didn't think you were serious!" he retorted.

"Since when am I never serious?" she growled.

"Nami, seriously, let go!"

"Just shut up and take it like a man!"

Nami shimmied her way up to straddle Sanji and tried her best to pin him down as best as she could but was failing miserably. Sanji was strong and purposely held back when struggling against her and she knew it, but she fought on, ignoring his pleas and refusals. They had been going at this for the past fifteen minutes and Nami was getting irritated at how things weren't going the way she had planned. Where was the sick Sanji she knew and loved? Where was her easy target in a moment like this?

"This is rape! Rape I tell you!" he wailed desperately.

"You shouldn't be complaining! You're a man! Suck it up!"

"I told you no!" he wailed again.

Nami cringed somewhat inside as she thought about the situation she was in. If this was any other couple, it would have looked hilarious, but this was her and Sanji for crying out loud. It was tiresome, nerve wracking, and too difficult for Nami.

"Stop being a baby! There are other ways of getting things done without actual intercourse!" Nami grumbled with a face as red as chili peppers. Nami hadn't gotten over her shyness completely and it was definitely showing, but her frustration and pride as a woman were also at stake if she couldn't get what she wanted.

"Nami you can't even stop yourself from blushing! That's a sign to stop!" he yelped and tried to get out of her pining position carefully, but she was really trying to force him down.

"But you're not being fair! You're the one who said and I quote, "I won't disregard your questions or curiosity. If you have _itches_ that need _scratching_, um, well I don't mind helping you out since you're special to me"."

Sanji stopped struggling and frowned to himself inwardly as he looked to Nami with surprise. Hearing her repeat his words from when they had first discussed the issue of sex was not something he expected to come back to haunt him. He had dug his own grave and was deeply regretting it now that Nami was frustrated and asking for one of the things he enjoyed with her. Having only done the deed once, Sanji had been careful as not to engage in anything further until she felt like she wanted to explore more with him. Unfortunately, with his last minute 'trip', the fight, the news of Robin's pregnancy, the other fight, and then having Sanji's father move in and then move out, it never gave him or Nami any opportunity to explore further; though after hearing the news about Robin, he had completely thrown the idea of sex out of the window.

Any other man would have loved it if their girlfriend threw herself at him and would have definitely taken her right there and then regardless of the location but Sanji was different. As silly as this situation was getting, somehow it made him feel less of a man but at the same time, the best man ever. He wasn't rejecting sex because of a shallow reason but a sound and caring one.

Trapped by his thoughts, he had failed to notice just how fast Nami had untied the strings to his boxers and slid his tank up towards his chest, but was certainly brought back to the world when he felt her delicate hands trace over his abdominal region and slid towards the top hem of his boxers. Quickly grabbing her hands to stop her, Sanji sat up and stared into Nami's eyes with both of their lips just inches apart from making contact with one another.

"Nami, please stop." he asked tiredly and nicely.

"Request denied." she deadpanned, staring into his face with an uninterested expression.

"Nami, if you're that frustrated then I'll just take care of you and-"

"No! It wouldn't be as beneficial…" she grumbled and glared deeply into his eyes.

"Beneficial?"

"Well it wouldn't be fair for you…. Besides…" she pouted with a slight red streak across her face. "I want…to learn…" she mumbled as quietly as she could.

"Nami listen, I-" Sanji began, placing a hand on her cheek very tenderly.

"No Sanji, you listen. We're not going to get anywhere with you constantly refusing me. Everyone, everywhere, everyday, takes the risk of having babies with and without protection. They're not letting that fear run them over and they could care less or more. Ready or not they still plunge themselves into it, knowing full well of their fears, insecurities, and everything else involved. Even if they believe it could never happen to them, the fact that the thought crossed their mind, even for a second, meant they knew the risks."

Sanji had moved his hand from her cheek down to her hand slowly, placing it on top of hers as he patiently sat there and listened to her reason. From the way she spoke in a serious, calm, and gentle tone, Sanji was pretty convinced by now to drop the abstinence plan he had put into action.

"You have good reasons to be worried but you're not being fair to me or yourself. You have amazing will power, I'll give you that, and I've tried my best but I can't take it. I can't help but feel unattractive when you keep your distance from me. I also feel like you've lost interest in me when I know that's not it. To be safe I already started taking the pill and we'll continue using condoms. If you're still worried then we'll just leave it to oral."

Nami didn't budge from her spot and searched Sanji's eyes for a change in emotion or a sigh but got nothing. He was thinking hard about it without having to change any feature upon his face and something about it bothered Nami. But when she saw those deep eyes that always seemed to make her feel as if he was staring into her soul, Nami knew that she had given a relatively good speech that he couldn't say no to…or maybe he could.

Sanji exhaled. He was being unfair and he knew it. He loved Nami but the risk of becoming a parent too soon scared him. He was busy enough as it was and starting soccer was going to push itself into his hectic schedule. Balancing a job, a girlfriend, and school was one thing but adding soccer and a baby were another. He was certain that he would love his child unconditionally but he knew that he was selfish enough to want to do other things than be a parent at the young age he was in.

With a calming release of his breath, he carefully observed Nami's never ending gaze that seemed to pierce him like a knife and it made him slowly bleed out and collapse into frustrated, "ok".

Relief washed over her delicate features and an excited smile formed on her lips, and Nami threw herself onto Sanji, hugging him as tight as ever.

"Ok then without further adieu, lose the pants." she ordered with a mischievous smile on her face.

"W-Wait, now?"

"Of course. We're in the bed room and we're on the bed. Why waste the opportunity?" she beamed mischievously.

Nami was about to confidently and hurriedly pull his boxers down when Sanji placed his hands on her shoulders, and remarkably changed the position around, pinning her to the bed with a soft, thump.

"You're a hundred years too early to try and ravish me."

Nami couldn't stop the goose bumps that had begun to form against her skin as she heard his smooth, mischievous, voice and felt the warm gentle breeze of his breath against her ear. Memories of the first night they made love flashed through her thoughts, over and over, at a speed that was almost dizzying.

Expertly, Sanji had taken her mouth with his in a heated kiss, and gently traced his fingers against her arms. It was hot, a sexy type of hot, and his fingers left her wanting more. She wanted him to touch her everywhere and he was taking his time teasing her smooth skin. As the heat and the kiss increased with the passionate swirls of tongue, Nami found her breath hitch as Sanji's fingers slowly and lightly glided under her tank top, over her navel, and up to her breasts. His finger tips were cool against her very hot skin as they gently fondled her and occasionally flicked against her pert nipples, earning Sanji a soft moan in anticipation.

Breaking the heated kiss, Sanji kissed against her jaw line and moved lower to softly nip and suck against her collarbone, pulling her tank top over her breasts at the same time. With a light purr, Nami gingerly used her fingers to trace over Sanji's arm and with the fingers of her other hand, she played with Sanji's hair and occasionally ticked the back of his neck. In sudden, yet smooth motions, he lapped his tongue against her sensitive nipple and pulled the rest of her tank top off; not surprised by her choice of going bra-less. Nami had purposely been parading around at night without a bra under her clothes and slept in her underwear instead of using the shorts he had been so familiar with.

Nami couldn't stand the way Sanji was touching her. He was purposely teasing her and in a huff she pulled his head into her breast to feel the sensation of his mouth engulfing her nipple. Fondling the other with a free hand he licked around her breast then circled the pink bud around and around with his tongue. He knew she wanted him to suck against her but he wasn't going to. A slight punishment was in order since she practically forced herself on him, literally trying to rape him.

He continued to lick around and flick at her breasts and could see the look of frustration on her face as well as an unsatisfied expression as her eyes gazed down to him half lidded.

"Sanji." she exhaled. "…This is torture…"

"Is it really?" he said, holding a smirk down.

"I know you're doing this on purpose." she gasped as he lightly pinched her nipples with his fingers and trailed hot kisses down her stomach, only to stop right about her panty line.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Why don't you tell me what it is you want? I can't read your mind and I thought I was doing good job."

Sanji looked up to Nami with lustful eyes and a mischievous smile knowing full well he was doing this on purpose; even enjoying it.

"I want you to touch me." she said with heated cheeks.

"I am touching you." he mused and slid his hands down her thighs and kissed her knees.

"You know what I mean."

"No I don't."

"You're being mean."

"So were you earlier." he said with a smile and slowly removed her panty and kissed along her pelvis and down her inner thighs.

It only took one session to know that as painstakingly slow he was going, and how irritated she was getting, he knew it revved her sex drive even higher. He knew the longer he did it, the better her release would be in the end. Sure this was his way of getting back at her, but it was also his way of making sure she was satisfied.

Almost instantaneously, he kissed against every inch of the delicate folds of her womanhood earning him more purring and the slight moving of her hips. Rubbing his thumbs in soothing, circular motions against her thighs as he held them open, he began his slow, torturous licks against her folds causing her to squirm and shift under his mercy.

Her breath hitched even more and her heart had begun to hammer as Sanji's tongue grazed her sensitive bud in slow motions.

"Sanji." she cried in a hush moan.

Sanji stopped, and purposely began to circle his tongue around her intimate folds, using two fingers to widen his access and explore around her slowly and savor the taste with each suck and lick he made. She groaned, desperate to the powerful effect and need she had for him. Her hips bucked in desperation, wanting more, which only made him stop. She couldn't take it. She was about to protest until she felt his fingers slide against her in strokes as his mouth began to wander her body again. She swore that each kiss he placed set wild fires to her nerves and could feel the smile that plagued his lips. The sharp, stubble of his chin that had been forming recently almost made it unbearable across her skin, but at the same time the kiss and hard sucks made it a mix of pain and pleasure.

Nami's breaths began to shorten the longer and faster he began sliding his fingers over her sweet spot and she was close to release. She was about to teeter over the edge but then Sanji stopped, and Nami huffed in annoyance.

"Sanji!"

"Yes love?" he asked, trying to hide his amusement.

She felt him enter a set of fingers inside her, making her gasp and increased the speed slowly, as he dragged his chin stubble against her skin while trailing a long slow lick down to her sensitive bud. She bucked her hips into him, feeling the sensation of teetering over all over again. She was reaching it and this time Sanji was going to let her have it. And that he did. He picked up the pace of his fingers and sucked almost religiously against her until she felt herself squirm and shiver under his ministrations.

"A-ah." she moaned, rocking through her immense release and breathing exceptionally heavy.

Sanji lifted himself up towards Nami and pulled her up to gently nipped against her neck which mad her quiver under his touch even more. Sanji couldn't hold down the chuckle that rumbled under his chest and sent little feverish kisses along her jaw line and down the other side of her neck, letting her ride out the last of her orgasm.

"Sanji." she panted.

"Hmmm?"

"Don't tease me like that again."

"Why not? You seemed to like the end results."

Nami placed her hands on his shoulders and looked to him with a pout before looking down to his boxers - her eyes hungry and nervous for what she was about to do. She kissed along his neck and gingerly traced her nails down his abs, tickling him along the way and placed her hands at his hips to toy with the hem of his boxers.

"Let me help you with that." she said shyly

She gently pulled at the hem of his boxers and slid them down past his thighs, dying of anticipation to get a good look at him without anything on. Sanji didn't say anything as he helped Nami, help him remove his last bit of clothing and felt almost a little awkward under her stare. It wasn't to his face, but rather it was to the lower member of himself.

Nami stared at it as if she were trying to figure out what it was when she saw it rise a little extra. It was flat out obvious Sanji was hard, but she was just fascinated by the way it looked, on him at least, and was fascinated that Sanji was reacting to her from just looking at it. She lightly brought her hand to it, and touched it hesitantly, hearing Sanji's breath hitch. She looked up to him unsure at first, and then back down as she used the pad of her index finger to circle around tip, and slowly slide down to touch the rest of him.

Sanji still didn't say anything, as he let her touch and see everything she wanted to, though it was a little frustrating for him. The gentle touch of her curious hands made him shiver and want to rock his hips into her but he couldn't. He was letting her learn and decide for herself what she wanted to do with it before they finished things.

Feeling her soft, warm lips press against the tip of his manhood sent chills down his spine and caused a warm sensation for flare up inside him. Her kisses were gentle, soft, and very hesitant, but soon became almost feverish as she kissed lower to the base, bending over on her knees. Sanji tensed in anticipation of what exactly she was planning on doing with those curious lips of hers and watched her as she trailed kisses back towards his tip and held him in place with a hand. Slowly, she began to lick around him in seductive circles and stopped for a moment to look up for a positive response.

Sanji sighed in pleasure and Nami took it as the positive response she had been searching for, and continued to do the same thing.

A hitch in his breath was the only thing he could manage in pleasure and surprise as he felt Nami take him into her hot mouth slowly, with her teeth lightly grazing against him. The sensation was incredible and she hadn't been doing anything; her mouth was just that small inside. She sucked softly at first, before increasingly becoming harder. Kneading him with her other hand, she took him in as far as she could before stroking him with her mouth. He felt the vibration of a few light moans from her along his length and groaned.

The feeling was incredible and Sanji clutched his eyes tight, trying his best to focus on every feeling she left on him. The shy moans she was making were already about to push him over the edge and Sanji found himself tentatively jerking into her sucks, failing to fight back another groan. The bobbing of her mouth picked up in pace, sucking him harder with each pass.

"N-Nami" he moaned. Her mouth felt so amazing. He couldn't remember the last time he felt a blow job feel this good.

Nami tried to stop herself from grinning at his moans and tried to focus on pleasuring him for the two times he did for her and was beyond happy that she could have this kind of effect on him. She didn't think Robin's tips applied to every man but damn was Nami wrong. Nami began to experiment with different angles before she found one that was most comfortable as she continued to pump her lips around him, sucking and pressing her tongue around him at the same time.

"A-ah, N-Nami, I can't-" he gasped as he felt her increase her strokes. Sanji quickly placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her off but it was a little late. His release shook him and made his member twitch as he splashed his warm seed onto her face and tried to steady his breathing.

"Ah, sorry Nami. Look at your face." Sanji felt a little guilty, making a mess onto her face, but he couldn't help himself from getting hard again at how sexy she looked with it.

Sanji leaned over to the nightstand and reached for the box of tissues, bringing it back for her to use and stared at her for a second, stunned.

Nami had swiped her fingers against the slime-like material against her cheek, and rubbed it between her fingers, stopping to separated her fingers as if she were testing the consistency of them.

"So this is what it looks like up close." she said, sounding almost amused.

Sanji, for some reason unknown, flushed slightly in embarrassment as he pulled out a few tissues. Just as he was about to grab for her hand, Nami curiously brought it to her nose and gave it a little sniff before finally sticking her tongue out and taking a shallow lick against the content of her fingers.

"Nami," he said calmly and coolly, still feeling slightly embarrassed, "Please don't play with it like that."

"I'm learning here. So shush. Besides, its not as bad as I thought it'd be, the flavor to be specific. I read somewhere that it tastes like a bitter, salt tablet but its subject to change when there is a change in diet."

Sanji exhaled and gently began to wipe away at the juices that clung to her face as if he were cleaning smeared food from her cheeks, letting her literally talk about jizz and his jizz in detail.

"Since it doesn't taste bad, it means you have a pretty good diet and lifestyle. Good for you." she laughed and kissed Sanji's lips as he finished cleaning her off.

As cool, calm, and collected as she sounded, there was only so much Nami could take at this point and she could tell Sanji was just as eager as she was judging by the second rise of his lower self.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Nami leaned into him with heated kisses and the two slowly leaned back into the bed, ending with Sanji supporting his weight above her.

"Sanji… condoms" she said between kisses, and looked to him as he stopped.

A flicker of uncertainty crossed his face before he reached over to the night stand's drawer and pulled out a familiar silver square. Nami's heart almost skipped a beat as she watching him tear the wrapper and rolled it onto himself carefully. The anticipation was driving her crazy and she held in a breath while he made his way back to her, and pressed his groin against her.

"Sanji… take me." she said softly, and leaned up to kiss his lips.

Nami let out a little moan as his tip entered her, and her hips rose eagerly to his until he filled her up completely. A familiar burn hit her at first until he slid out slowly. Then he entered again and again, making the small pain turn into pure pleasure.

"F-Faster" she muttered.

He did as Nami asked, and picked up the pace, increasing the friction between himself and her. She still felt incredible as ever against him and couldn't help himself from increasing his pace again, feeling her hands slide to his back to hold onto him. The sweat, the heat, and the rhythm they had made it all the more passionate and both gladly drowned themselves into the intoxicating moans they each let out.

"Harder." Nami panted.

Sanji pursed his lips and pulled out almost completely, making her upset before he slammed himself into her in a deep, fast thrust.

"Ahh! Yes," she breathed, arching her back into the sheets. Sanji slammed into her again with the same force making her moan again. "Faster."

Sanji obliged, thrusting as deep and as hard as he could and developed a good rhythm to pound into her effortlessly inside her wet wall. She clawed her nails along his back, trying not to get too overwhelmed by how fast he plunged within her.

"Nami." he moaned as he continued his pace. She cried out his name as an orgasm hit her and shook throughout her whole body, but he didn't stop. With his relentless thrusts, he repositioned her legs to rest on his shoulders and moved harder and faster than before, digging his fingers along her thighs, completely lost in the feeling of her as he mindlessly pumped into her without stopping.

"Ah! Sa-ah-an-ji!" she whimpered from the intense pleasure she felt before crashing into another orgasm. He kissed along her knee before he finally found his own sweet release and nearly collapsed on top of her in exhaustion, but managed to prop himself on his elbows as they both heaved, trying to catch their breaths.

Shaking in pleasure as he pulled out from her, Nami smiled contently through each heaving breath she tried to slow and curled into him as he laid beside her.

"That… was… amazing..." she said with a shaky breath and swallowed desperately to continue. "I love you."

Slightly stunned that this was the first time she openly said it, Sanji smiled at her beautiful, brown orbs and wrapped his arms around her. "I love you too."

* * *

**October 13 9:14 am**

"Are you really going to take Val's challenge?" Sanji asked curiously as he flipped a few pancakes in his pan, though he was really trying to hide the ominous feeling that welled up within his stomach.

"Of course not. She's stupid. Why should I waste my Christmas Eve, Chopper's birthday, doing some stupid challenge she decided on her own? I don't care that you've known her since you were young but Sanji, she's a spoiled brat and needs a good slap across the face as her wake up call." Nami huffed and sipped at the glass of orange juice between her hands.

Sanji exhaled in relief, and smiled to hear Nami's response. A cook off against a restaurant heiress? As much as Sanji loved Nami, he knew she didn't stand a chance. Val was raised in a life similar to Sanij's, she grew up in the kitchen, she learned from the bottom up, only now she was specializing in chocolates to open up her own shop. Even if Nami seemed to cook a decent meal, Val had years of experience on her side and was able to cook under pressure.

"So, ignoring the challenge, what do you want to do this weekend? I'm off." he asked.

Nami pondered for a moment until her face lit up with excitement.

"Let's go shopping! My job is stable and things are starting to get a little busier this semester so let's go shopping for a phone. I want something like yours, only cheaper."

Sanji laughed a little as he placed the pancakes onto a dish that was almost overflowing with other pancakes, and poured more batter onto the pan.

"I recommend you get a phone with Den Den. Wide variety, custom plans, great deals, a lot of outer cases for your phone too. Besides everyone in the group is using Den Den because its free unlimited calls and texts to your top twelve contacts."

"What the… that's too generous for a phone company. Isn't it usually your top five contacts?"

"Yeah, but have you seen the competition between companies? Den Den has almost no competition now and has a great customer base because of their deals. People are more willing to pay the bills on time and are more than willing to get a second phone, so the company grows and makes more money. They don't only cater to cell phones. That phone over there," Sanji nodded towards the phone by the main entrance, "is a Den Den land line product."

"Hmm, I see. So it'd be pointless to go with another company?"

"Pretty much, but I won't stop you if you want to go with another company."

"Nah, I'll take your word for it. Unlimited calls and texts to your top twelve contacts is a deal that seems too hard to deny. I only have ten people I communicate with anyways so wouldn't that make my bill almost nothing?"

"Depends on the plan." he shrugged, and flipped the last of the pancakes off of the pan and onto the plate that looked as if it here harboring over fifty piece of pancakes.

"So..." Nami sang, letting a sly smile play on her lips as she walked over to Sanji. "What do you want to do when we come back from shopping?"

Sanji smiled and sighed a she lightly ran her fingers past his back and over the area she had scratched at last night. Before Sanji could speak, Nami and Sanji heard his phone ringing from a distance and Sanji jogged away to get it, calling out to Nami along the way. "Nami, can you go and get Robin?"

"Sure." She called back, feeling a little disappointed and took a few more sips of her orange juice before carefully placing it onto the counter. Just as she turned around, she saw a flash of green hair, and a tanned upper body pass by her and made its way towards the refrigerator, grabbing a bottle of water, and grunting in tow. Nami wasn't sure she was looking at one of her good friends or not and rubbed her eyes doubtfully, and then watched as he retreated upstairs and into Robin's room.

Sanji, still on the phone, walked out of the room Nami shared with him, and called out to her again form over the banister. "Can you set the table too?"

"I uh... Yeah, sure." she called again and watched him walk back into the room.

This time, Nami was sure she wasn't seeing things as her green haired friend exited Robin's room, still shirtless, with the same bottle of water, and made his way to the refrigerator again, still grunting to himself.

"Um…" Nami started, and caught the attention of her friend. "What are you doing here Zoro?"

"Robin doesn't feel comfortable at my place anymore, especially when Luffy brings company over." he said and launched off a large yawn.

"Ah. I see. So…um, why are you here?"

"She took my clothes from my dresser and told me to sleep over." he shrugged.

"Oh. Ok then." she chirped and moved into the kitchen to grab at the plates. She didn't need to know any nit picky details from Zoro since Robin was going to tell her about it anyways. "Do me a favor, on your way back, wake her up and tell her to eat."

"If she wasn't awake, then I wouldn't be awake." he grunted and grabbed at a bottle apple juice. "First she tells me to get her water, then she says to forget the water and grab her apple juice."

Nami laughed and slapped his arm sympathetically. "That's pregnancy for you."

"Yeah well it doesn't help that she's hurling-"

"What are you doing here Marimo?" Sanji screeched from the second floor and ran down the stairs that led into the kitchen. "Who let you in?"

"Hah? What's your problem?"

"You're my problem. Why are you shirtless in my house?"

"Calm down Curly, I didn't want to come over either but Robin practically forced me to come along."

"Oh, well if its Robin then-" Sanji sang.

"You change your attitude too quickly." Nami groaned, and continued to finish setting up the table.

"Oi, Marimo, please call Robin for breakfast."

"I don't know if she'll want any of your food."

"What did you say?" Sanji gritted, ready to give him a round house kick. "You got a problem with my food?"

"I only meant to say that she's got some irrational cravings. Besides, morning sickness had finally gotten to her." Zoro growled.

"Gee, I wonder why?" Sanji said sarcastically.

"Oh? Didn't you know? Robin's pregnant." Zoro said with genuine surprise.

"You idiot of course I know that!" Sanji lectured.

"Enough!" Nami growled. "I'll get her. Zoro, stay for breakfast and shut up. Sanji, stop bickering with him."

And with that, Nami left the two men in the kitchen, sauntering her way across the room and up the stairs, eventually disappearing into Robin's room.

* * *

**2:45pm**

"How about this one?" Sanji asked, and held out a model that was similar in size, weight, and style to his phone.

"I like it but its missing the camera on the inside of the phone." Nami pouted.

"Then how about this one?" he asked, holding out a white phone with an intricate, orange design against the back. The lovely swirls, the circles, and specks of gray made the image look similar to that of an orange and Nami instantly fell in love with it. Sure it was a bit more thick than Sanji's phone, and sure it had a manual key pad that you needed to slide down in order to type, but it had the camera she wanted on both the back of the phone, and the inside of the phone against the optional touch screen.

"I love it!" she beamed and gave him a smile.

"Good, now we can-"

"-buuut…"

"Nami. Yes or no. We've been in this store for four hours. Maybe we could leave and come back another time; you know, take some time to think about the phone and-"

"No. I want a phone and I'm determined to leave with one today."

"Then pick one!" Zoro growled. "Why do Robin and I have to be here with you?"

Robin only smiled and placed a gentle hand against Zoro's shoulder, trying to calm him down.

"Because Robin wanted to come and you said you needed to pay your phone bill."

"Yeah, and I did, four hours ago. My question still remains, why do Robin and I have to be here with you? I could be sleeping right now or we could be shopping."

"Because, when I get my phone I'm taking a commemorative photo."

"Maybe you should-" Robin started but was cut off as everyone heard someone shouting.

"Oi! Nami! Zoro! Sanji! Robin!" a young, excited voice called in the distance.

Each and every one of them turned their heads to see Luffy, waving sporadically at them, with large amounts of shopping bags looped onto his arms, and a very tall, beautiful raven haired woman, whose arm was latched onto his. Nami had to do a double take as Luffy and the mystery woman approached. She was ridiculously tall and Nami looked to Sanji in disbelief, only to see him nod with a polite smile as he spoke through his teeth.

"That's his lady friend."

In a matter of seconds, Luffy entered the store with his usual, infectious, goofy grin on his face releasing his arm from the tall woman and crashing himself into the group for a big hug.

"What are you guys doing here?" Luffy gushed in excitement.

"We're waiting for Nami to pick out her phone." Robin cooed.

"You're finally getting one? Nami I'm so happy! I haaaaaaaave to be the first person you add as a contact!"

"Luffy, hold on, you can't just claim the spot someone has already claimed!" Sanji lectured.

"Huh? Why? Its only right I get that spot. Nami is my old friend! I've known her longer than any of you guys." he whined, and bounced in his spot like a temperamental two year old who didn't get his way.

"You're Luffy's best friend?" the tall woman butted in, with a face full of hurt and hand to her heart, clutching it as if she were having a heart attack. She obviously didn't hear Luffy say, 'old friend' and put her own words into Luffy's mouth.

Everyone looked to the woman curiously and knew her hysterics were just about to start, well, everyone except for Nami.

"Oh, Nami, I haven't introduced you to Hanmock!"

"Hancock Luffy dearest." the said woman corrected and held out her hand for Nami to shake. "Boa Hancock."

There was something absolutely wrong with this picture. Hancock had held her hand out for Nami to shake, but it looked more as if she were bidding Nami to kiss it as if she were the queen and Nami were her servant. Her back was arched which pressed her large chest up and out for a clear grope session, her head had became parallel to the floor as she stared up at the ceiling, and her free hand rested upon her hip as if it were the most natural thing to do. What was even weirder was that she kept that pose for as long as she needed, waiting for Nami to take her hand or make some form of a gracious remark.

"Um, its nice to meet you?" Nami said with an unsure tone, and lightly grabbed for Hancock's hand to shake.

Hancock quickly pulled her hand out of Nami's grasp and glared at her with an intensity that seemed to make bystanders in the store cower away in fear.

"You dare grip my hand tightly? Do you know how delicate it is?"

"I'm sorry?" Nami said with doubt plaguing her voice. It was more of a question than it was an apologetic statement due to the state of confusion she was in.

"That's right, you are sorry. All is forgiven." Hancock concluded, and held her hand out again for Nami to take.

"Um…" Nami looked to Sanji and the rest before lightly taking Hancock's hand in hers and very gently, gave it a little, soft shake.

As soon as that was done Hancock seemed to have monopolized the conversation about cell phones and the latest styles and trends and Nami found herself getting even more irritated with the way she spoke. Condescending, arrogant, narcissistic, conceited, haughty, egotistical, big-headed; the word bank went on and on for the list of words that perfectly described just who this woman was. It pissed Nami off completely and now she understood why Sanji said "I don't think you want to meet her either". Nami was ready to bash this bitch in the face but didn't for the sake of Luffy. Luffy picked at his nose a few times and didn't seem to mind her personality in the least.

"-Ah! Now that I think about it, I've met the last of your closest friends! Luffy does this mean what I think it means? Is this the final stage before you propose?"

"Huh? No, I just wanted you to meet my friends." he said dumbfounded.

Hancock placed the back of her hand against her forehead and her other hand against her heart, and spun in a circle.

"Oh Luffy, I can't tell you how honored I am that you just wanted me to meet them but you're so cruel, making me wait. But I'll definitely wait if its for you."

"She's not serious is she?" Nami whispered to the sane people she had gone shopping with. They only shook their heads sadly to say that she was serious.

"Huh? Wait for what? I wasn't going to take forever to talk to my friends. I thought you said you needed help with shopping?" Luffy asked as he wiggled his arms, allowing the numerous amount of shopping bags to rustle and swing slightly.

"Ah, still as cruel as ever. But fear not, I'll wait forever!"

"Ok. Well I guess I'm going to go now. Hancock is treating me to dinner at a place called "Old Mamosas". Its an all you can eat buffet!" Luffy grabbed onto Hancock's arm and tugged on it lightly, causing her to blush furiously and bring a hand to her cheek.

"Just now... you just...called me Hancock!? Does this mean marriage?! Oh! My life is complete!"

"Huh? Whose getting married?" he asked curiously. "And what do you mean complete? You're still young!" Luffy lectured as he dragged her out of the phone store.

Nami could only stare in awe at how dense Luffy really was and confirmed that it had to be a miracle that some haughty heiress seemed as if she would literally die for her young friend. Though Nami was happy for Luffy that there was someone who could love him for just him, why did it have to be someone that pissed Nami off completely?

"The world is full of many people..." she mumbled.

"I agree." Sanji nodded.

"I believe so too." Robin smiled.

"Hm." Zoro grunted in agreement.

* * *

**November 11 7:15pm**

"Zoro you're getting old!" Ussop joked as he laid a light punch against Zoro's arm.

Zoro took a swig of his beer and pushed Ussop off of his seat, letting him fall and pull Brook down with him.

"Hey, that's rude!" Ussop whined.

"Its my birthday, I can do what I want." he shrugged.

"And that includes abusing your friends?!" Ussop and Brook screeched in unison.

Nami and Robin laughed in the distance at a joke Law and Chopper happened to be sharing with them and everyone had immediately called them the geeks for their wide range of topics from science to government. They were conversations no one else, except those four, and maybe Sanji and Franky, could follow.

The night was still young and the impossible happened, there was a lot of food left over. Luffy had been overly stuffed and looked as if he could have gotten sick in a mere matter of seconds but instead, fell asleep, and everyone had broken into a conversation towards Zoro and Robin who sat next to one another.

"So how are you guys going to do this? Are you planning on moving in or something?" Ussop asked.

"No, we're going to keep on with what we've been doing." Robin answered as Zoro stayed silent.

"But wouldn't it make sense to live together? Teamwork and taking turns is the key to success when taking care of a baby." Brook said.

"I agree. Besides it'd be SUPER if both of you were constantly around the child" Franky added.

"I'd like to move in together but I'm respecting her wishes." Zoro grunted.

"But I don't understand." Chopped piped in. "Why don't you want to move in when Zoro does?"

"Chopper maybe you shouldn't ask that." Law said coolly as he placed a hand on his shoulder.

"No, its fine. Chopper, I don't want the reason we move in together to be because of the baby."

"But its obvious you both love each other. I just don't see why you wouldn't do it. Having a baby is just an addition to come after you've moved in together." he chirped again.

"Its, complicated." she said with a smile. "We're still young. I'm not saying it'll happen but there is a possibility that we won't always be a couple."

"Talking like that seems like you want to break up." Zoro said, causing the whole room to grow quiet.

The feeling in the room went from lively and cheerful to apprehensive and edgy just from that one comment.

"I don't, I'm just saying that there is no guarantee that we'll always be together."

"Says who?"

"Zoro." Robin said in a warning tone. "Not here."

"No, Robin, tell me. I've wanted to know for a long time why you hold so many reservations about us moving in together. I am more than willing to take that plunge now, more than ever, but I've been respecting your wishes this whole time."

"Oi, maybe we should just-" Sanji started, but was cut off as Robin raised a hand to him.

"Zoro we're too young to take that plunge. Statistics state that 60 percent of couples who move in together or get married between the ages of 20 and 25 end in a break up or divorce."

"Statistics? You would rather follow statistics than follow how we feel about each other? And what do you mean too young? Robin you've said that over and over too many times to me and I just don't get it. Too young for this, too young for that. If we really were too young then we wouldn't be having a child."

"Correction, I'm having a child." She said in a haughty tone.

"Excuse me?" Zoro asked in disbelief.

"You heard me."

"Robin, breathe. These are just your hormones talking. Maybe we should-" Nami tried to cut in, but Robin wouldn't give her the opportunity to.

"As excited as I am about this child, I'm the one walking around with extra weight and having to eat more than I usually do. I'm the one who has to prepare to pop this kid out. I'm tired, I'm sick of eating and throwing it all up, I just want to punch you in the face every time I see you for no apparent reason, I feel as huge as a small country, everything hurts, its practically a mission to get anything done and I am no where near the damn finish line, and to top it off, this kid won't stop kicking the hell out of me and I still have four more months! So technically, I'm having this child. Do you know how gross and unattractive I feel every time I look in the mirror and see a whale?"

"What the... Robin you're beautiful. Why would you-" Zoro said in disbelief, only to be cut off by her continuous rage filled rant.

"I'm turning into a mother from hell and I just want to be left alone but then I get so damn upset and lonely so I have to bear with being around others. I'm so damn sexually frustrated majority of the time and then I get upset because I see how fat I'm getting and then I think that there is no way you want to touch me."

"Um...should we be hearing this?" Ussop mumbled quietly to everyone that had been listening. No one answered him, they just stared, stunned that Robin was losing her usual, mature, motherly atmosphere and showed a new, upset, on the verge of rampaging Robin.

"Zoro you have no idea on what is going through my head and you have no idea how I feel!"

"Then tell me more about how you feel. Obviously you've never shared this with me so of course I didn't know. So tell me or I won't know." Zoro pressed on, and grabbed for her hand, rubbing little soothing circles onto it with his thumb.

"I'm scared." she said with a shaky voice. "I'm scared to have this baby. I'm scared to move in with you and have you realize it was a mistake. I'm scared you'll stop loving me and possibly the child when you realize that being a parent in college is stressful. I don't want you to feel that I'm a burden because of the future stress you'll accumulate from school and baseball... Then there's finances to worry about and...and... I'm just scared." she gasped and let a few tears trickle down the sides of her cheeks.

"Robin... Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he exhaled, and pulled her into a tight hug.

"I just just said its because I'm scared!" she growled into his shirt though her efforts to sound intimidating came out muffled.

Something about the moment felt very calming and almost romantic in an odd argumentative sense. Sanji wrapped an arm around Nami's waist and she leaned her head against his shoulder, Brook, Franky, and Ussop had huddled together trying to hold in tears of what looked quite moving, Chopper and Law sat in their respectable corner talking about birthing plans and delivery processes for Robin, and Luffy, well, Luffy continued to sleep in his chair.

"Can I just say that for brilliant woman, you're very stupid?"

Everyone looked at Zoro as if he was the most stupid person in the world for saying his next seemingly thoughtless remark and Robin sat back to look at him with surprise.

"Robin, look, relationships don't work the way they do on television or in the movies. Will they, won't they, and then they finally do and they're happy forever, give me a break. Nine out of ten of them didn't work out because they weren't right for each other to begin with. Then half the ones that get married get divorced anyways and I'm telling you right now, through all this stuff, I have not become a cynic. I haven't. Yes, I do happen to believe that love is mainly about pushing chocolate covered candies and you know...in some cultures...a chicken..."

Robin sat there staring at him, taking in what he had to say which only confirmed that the chances of them staying together weren't very high. But she let him speak his peace, being fair to hear him out until the very end.

"You can call me a sucker but I don't care...because I do... um...believe in it... Look, the bottom line is that its couples that are truly right for each other that wait through the same crap as everybody else but the big difference is, they don't let it take them down. One of those two people will stand up and fight for that relationship every time if its right for them and if they're real lucky. One of them will say something. So I'm saying something because I don't feel that its right, I know its right."

Zoro thumbed away a tear from her eye and called over to Sanji.

"Eyebrows, hand it over."

Sanji dug into his pocket and threw something at Zoro, who caught it with his hand expertly and with his free hand, he scratched at the back of his head and huffed with a slight annoyance.

"I swear I had this planned out differently but I can't wait."

"Zoro what are you ta-" Robin started, but Zoro cut her off. Nami had quickly caught onto what was happening and held her breath as she looked to Sanji, who only smiled back to her.

"Robin, before you go on about how we're too young for this or that, can I ask you a question? Do you love me?"

Robin wasn't sure where Zoro was going with the conversation and pursed her lips, giving him a nod.

"Can I ask you another question? Do you want to have a piece of jewelry to make your beautiful hand look even more beautiful? Preferably your left?"

"What?"

"Yes or no Robin." He said, and opened a little black velvet box with a beautiful aqua diamond engagement ring with a white gold band and small adorning diamonds on the sides of the band.

Robin looked down, and looked back up to meet Zoro's slightly nervous gaze, but found herself appreciating the calm, serious, yet gentle expression he held on his face.

"If you're scared then tell me. If you're mad then punch me. Either way I'm going to stand by your side. So yes or no?"

"I don't understand your question. Be more specific." she said, hoping she wasn't getting the wrong idea, especially after Zoro suggested it to only be a piece of jewelry.

"Robin, I'm asking you, will you marry me?"

Robin looked down to the ring, feeling overwhelmed with joy and looked to Zoro again, who stared at her expectantly. She then looked down to the beautiful, soft aqua diamond on the ring and looked to him again.

"If you're scared then I'll ask you again tomorrow, the next day, or the day after that. Maybe everyday until you're not scared."

"No." she quickly said, and let a light blush cross her cheeks. "I mean..."

"You know there's a reason I chose this ring. It matches your eyes but specifically, aqua is believed to have a soothing effect – it can help to release anger and negativity and offers mental peace and clarity by providing emotional and mental balance. Its a universal symbol of youth, fidelity, hope and health and is also associated with speech and communication, confidence, strength, and idealism. When I saw the color and did the research I thought it was perfect because it described you...so...um...yes or no?"

Everyone in the room waited in complete silence, wondering what her answer would be. She had gone from a good mood, to a bad mood, to a confused mood, and now they had no idea what mood she was about to enter next.

"You do realize that you just lost your macho image, right?" she said with a giggle.

"Yes I realize that. So? Yes or no?"

Nami had been practically digging her nails into Sanji's arm in anticipation while Sanji, stood there with a grin and bear it expression on his face. And finally, Nami's anticipation had been put to ease when she heard her best friend say the words she hoped for.

"Yes."

* * *

**Author Note!**

**I'm soooo sorry this is a super late update! I hate hiatus statuses but what can you do when you have pricks for professors? I've been dying to write this chapter for sooooooooo long and now that the semester is almost over my fingers are itching more than ever to write. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter because big things are about to happen lol. And yes, I know, if you've watched scrubs, you will see that I took a famous line from Dr. Cox and had Zoro say it because it seemed right haha. I give all credit of that line to the people who wrote Scrubs.  
**

**-Rusala  
**


	29. Love and Passion

**November 25 12:13 pm**

"Sanji wait." Nami whimpered.

"Can't."

Sanji huffed against her neck and pulled her into him tighter. His hands trailed all over Nami sensually and guided her away from the counter to feel her up. His hands were hot, but his fingertips were cool and made her shudder as they made their way under her shirt and had begun to fondle her breasts.

"We can't do this in the kitchen." she gasped as he lightly pinched her nipples.

Sanji hadn't been touching her for long and already she was this worked up. But then again, anyone would get worked up if your boyfriend would constantly kiss at your neck as he taught you how to cook from hugging and hovering from behind. It was all Sanji's fault and Nami was more than prepared to let him know it when this was all over. Why couldn't he keep his hands off of her in one of the most crucial moments like this?

One of his hands wandered lower and found its way under her skirt with ease as he nipped and sucked lightly against her neck. Slowly, he gently began to rub against the outer folds of her womanhood, teasing her over her underwear. Nami's breath hitched a little as he rubbed in slow, sensual circles which only made Nami whimper even more for him.

"Sanji." she panted quietly.

"Nami." he exhaled and pressed himself against her.

Sanji's erection pressing against Nami's behind drove her up the wall and she didn't care if they were in the kitchen anymore, or if she was supposed to be learning something impressive for her challenge; she wanted him and she wanted him now. But how did they get here?

_**Flashback**_

"No! Absolutely not! Nami already said "no" so why are you pushing for it? Do you disprove of her that much?" Sanji shouted, and glared towards Zeff.

Val said nothing as she sat in her corner, smiling away at the way things were moving in her favor. Next to her was an older gentleman, hair as white as snow and a serious expression upon his lean, chiseled face. His posture said nothing more than arrogance and money and Sanji could never understand how Zeff and this man were good friends.

"You're over reacting eggplant." Zeff huffed in annoyance. "Red will be fine."

"No! Are you kidding me? Stop butting into our life with unwanted propositions! First you give _him_" Sanji shouted as he pointed to Val's father, "-an ok saying Val and I could get married without even consulting me, then you let her run around like a spoiled brat in a damn candy store, and now you're telling me that Nami should accept her stupid challenge?! No!"

Sanji grabbed for Nami's hand and stood from his seat, ready to take Nami away from the early dinner they were invited to when Zeff raised his voice.

"As far as I'm concerned, Red hasn't said a damn thing the entire time we've been here. Stop speaking for her!"

"I'm speaking for the both of us because we're on the same page! No means no! Nami and I don't want to have anything to do with Val or her stupid challenge! So enough!"

"Says you! Red!" Zeff hollered to Nami. "Tell us how you really feel! Do you want to take the challenge or not?"

Nami had never felt so out of place in a restaurant before. It was bad enough that everyone at the table complained about their food and how it should have been cooked. Then they had all left for about fifteen minutes into the back to cook their dishes themselves and show the staff how it was done. What made things worse, was the ridiculously loud argument that was happening over a stupid cooking challenge. If people weren't staring at their table because of their complaints and fiasco in the kitchen, then they were definitely staring now for their volume of conversation.

"Nami!" / "Red!" Sanji and Zeff shouted in unison.

Nami couldn't take much more of this. She was not only embarrassed but utterly pissed off. She had been trying to make a better impression on Zeff by behaving and keeping her voice down but she was ready to snap. The first thing she wanted to do so badly was jump across the table and punch Val in the face for backhandedly going to Sanji's father for assistance. The second thing she wanted to do was scream at the top of her lungs and make out with Sanji to make a point in front of everyone. And lastly, she just wanted to go home. If she thought she was embarrassed when Luffy flipped her dress in middle school and everyone saw her last resort teddy undies, then what did right now equate to?

The shouting went on and on and the argument was so loud, it seemed to become silent and it hurt her ears - almost as if the power had gone out and you were stuck in silence so bad, it put pressure on your ears, threatening to have them implode on themselves and bleed out.

What made Nami snap and enter the argument she wanted no part of, was what Sanji had to say about her.

"Just stop! Nami is studying to be a weather girl! She can't cook because she-"

"Meteorologist!" she grunted.

Everyone turned a curious look towards an upset Nami who looked ready to strangle anyone she made complete eye contact with.

"Sanji, meteorologist! Not weather girl! Just because weather and atmosphere have a huge influence on what I'm studying does not mean I'd go through that show-biz crap! And who are you to say I can't cook? You're my boyfriend, I've cooked for you before."

"Nami this is different. What you made for me was-"

"I get it, because _it_ looked like tar you're going to judge my cooking off of that? That one time I cooked? Sanji, that stuff was for sick people to begin with! Its nice to know you have so much faith in me you jerk!"

Nami turned to Val who squeaked a little in fear from Nami's intense, dangerous glare. She was pissed. She was pissed at Val for bothering them. She was pissed at Zeff for suggesting they go along with the challenge. But most of all, she was pissed at Sanji. As her boyfriend he should have given her the benefit of the doubt when it came to cooking.

"You, dumb blond, I'll take your damn challenge. Being the heiress to a restaurant doesn't change anything about you and it doesn't scare me in the least. So you shadowed daddy your whole life, big deal."

"Excuse me-" the older man in the room piped up but Nami refused to let him speak.

"If you couldn't get Sanji to look or even notice you in _that_ way for this long, doesn't that already say something? I'm going to be the bitch here and say that when this is over, don't you dare complain about it. If you love him as much as you say you do, then you will leave him alone and you will leave me alone. You should have done that from the start but look at the situation this way, in a chef's perspective, if you play with the knife, you're going to get cut. And in this case, you're going to get cut so badly that the scar won't go away."

Nami stood from her seat and glared at Sanji before holding her hand out to him.

"Keys. Now. I'm waiting in the car." she growled.

Sanji didn't say anything. Instead of handing his keys over to her, he moved next to her and escorted her out of the restaurant with a curt nod to everyone at the table and left with Nami, trying his best to apologize to her on the way out.

_**End of flashback**_

And that's how they ended up here. Sanji offered to teach her a few simple dishes that would still be considered mouth and mind blowing. At first, Nami would argue with him while he taught. Slowly over the days he taught her, her anger had simmered and she was more open to the idea. And now after a few weeks, of enjoying the lessons Sanji had given her, things just turned out hot and sexy. Nami thought for sure that she and Sanji were probably one of the most odd or dysfunctional couples that were around but she didn't mind. If they were a normal couple, would she have stayed with Sanji? She probably would have found another boyfriend by now.

Nami had then wondered about the dishes they made. Not once have they ever successfully completed a dish. If they didn't storm out halfway because of anger, then they just never got to finish making it due to situations like time being against them or, especially, sexy time occupying everything. She had to at least finish the dish she was making today. How the hell else was she going to see how it tasted? Sanji may not need to taste in between mixing but she did. It was how she cooked. She couldn't measure everything by eye and she wasn't a fast worker either when it came to cooking.

Her thoughts were cancelled out as she and Sanji slipped and fell to the floor with Sanji guiding her carefully from harms way and allowing her to straddle him. They then enveloped each others mouths with hot, passionate kisses that felt almost suffocating. Sanji's hands trailed under her shirt and rubbed soothing circles with the pads of his thumbs on the sides of her stomach. Nami purred into him and she rubbed herself against his erection and Sanji groaned into her. His hips raised to rub against her but she raised her hips away from him, teasing him along the way.

"Nami, I need you." he grunted, just as he broke their kiss.

"Glad you feel that way," she replied with a devious smile. She pulled his black, button down shirt open and flicked her tongue across his stomach and along the shallow valleys of the toned muscles of his abs. Moving herself lower, she began to kiss over his jeans as she undid them, and then his boxers, and then along his length causing Sanji to release a desperate groan.

"I want to feel you," he uttered.

"Be patient." she sang, as she tapped her fingers lightly over his groin making his bulge twitch beneath.

She grasped his jeans and the band of his boxers and slowly tugged them down to his thighs. He could feel her hot breath at his tip, making him almost want to jerk upwards in hopes of finding her mouth. Finally, she began to lick up and down his member. He couldn't hold back a moan feeling her fully take him in her mouth, but was disappointed to find that it didn't last for very long. She sucked hard for a few seconds and made a subtle wet pop sound as she parted her lips from him. He felt so cold and helpless.

"Nami," he whined, really wanting her to continue. Instead he felt her grind against him once more making him grunt. He could feel the heat from her panties. This was too much to take.

"Tell me what you want," she whispered.

"I want you."

"You're not very convincing." she said mischievously.

"…"

Nami smiled to herself at the pained look Sanji was giving her. Now she understood why Sanji liked teasing her so much. It was fun but sexy at the same time. She hadn't originally planned to let things get this far, especially after promising herself yesterday that she was going to actually finish cooking a dish today instead of getting freaky on the kitchen floor, but that was well out of the window now.

Bending over him again, she kissed along his neck for a moment and felt him flick his tongue along her neck. He inhaled the sweet orange scent of her body wash and hiked her shirt and bra over her breasts to touch them. He sucked at her neck before she broke away to capture his lips with hers. Desperately he kissed back, loving every bit of her hot, sweet mouth. Never had he felt so much need of wanting someone so badly. But that was the funny thing about love wasn't it? That you needed that person so much you felt as if you couldn't function. Sex with a person you loved felt intoxicating and there wasn't anything else like it.

He thrusted his hips upwards beneath her, making her moan. He did it once more making her almost topple over him in force and pleasure. She planted her hands on top of his chest, feeling him press into her again.

"a-ah" she gasped as he repeatedly ground his hips into hers. He made sure to drive her as crazy as she was driving him, changing his speed from slow and sensual to fast and fiery. And indeed it drove her up the wall. She couldn't take it much longer. She needed to feel him inside her.

Nami stopped Sanji briefly to slide down her panties and then repositioned herself on top of him.

"Nami, wait." Sanji said, as he awkwardly reached and pulled his wallet from his jeans. It was hard moving under Nami but he didn't have it in him to move her off to get his things. Pulling out the familiar, silver square Nami know all to well by now, Nami grabbed it and tore the package carefully and awkwardly rolled it onto him until it covered his full length and looked to him a little antsy.

"Sanji…this is a first… you're usually doing the guiding so…"

"Then let me help you." he said smoothly. "Raise your hips a bit"

Nami did as she was told and lifted herself slightly over his member, feeling Sanji rub his tip against her sensitive folds, her bud, and lower to her hot, wet, entrance. Nami gasped at the feeling and bit her lower lip, anxious to lower herself quickly and move.

"Ease into it." he commanded gently.

Nami lowered herself slowly and sucked in a bit of air as she felt his member slowly fill her up. It was such a different feeling and it felt so good. When he was fully inside her, Nami wanted to cry out just from how good it felt with the deep penetration.

"Ride me." he urged and gently pressed into her more.

Nami leaned forward and slowly moved her hips back and forth before finding a steady, comfortable rhythm. It was hard trying to keep her balance but the more she grew comfortable with the position, the more she increased her paced. Both of their breaths staggered and Sanji placed his hands on her thighs as she rode him; clenching his teeth as he tried to fight back the urge to climax before she did. She felt so amazing and looked so incredibly erotic pumping herself onto him with her soft, luscious breasts and rosy, pert nipples bouncing in plain sight. This had to have been one of the ultimate experiences he was going to get. He loved Nami, he loved the kitchen, and having sex with her in the kitchen was just euphoric.

Sanji aided Nami in her motions, and rocked his hips into hers. She moaned and clutched her eyes tight as she enjoyed the friction between them. Faster and harder she ground herself into him before a familiar sensation started to grow within her. Panting, she went even faster to give her that last push over the edge.

"Ah! Sa-nji." she rasped. A release washed over her making her thrusts stagger as she whimpered from overwhelming pleasure.

"Nami, don't stop." he staggered.

Pressing her hips faster against him, she bit her lip and cried out from the amazing sensation that overcame her again. She didn't stop rocking against him until he cried out her name from his own release. Sanji fondled her breasts as she came for the third time riding him.

"N-Nami." he groaned, unable to stop himself from jerking within her until he was completely drained. Collapsing onto him, Nami rested her head into his now sweat covered chest, listening to his excited heartbeat slowly grow steady. Sanji's arms tiredly wrapped around her waist and held onto her as tightly as he could as she continued to tremble from her release.

"That good huh?" he chuckled and gasped slightly. "How many times was that?"

"Shut up." she mumbled.

Nami used the palm of her hands and pressed them onto the floor of either side of Sanji's waist and pushed herself up, slowly lifting herself off of his spent member. The pleasure of it leaving her body made her want to go again but she was tired and needed to get back to cooking before things became carried away again.

* * *

**November 25, 6:01 pm**

"Why doesn't it have any flavor?!" Nami groaned. "This is the fifth time we've made this!"

"We'll do it again. Its your technique. Everyone has their own and it changes the way things taste. I'm sure if we -"

"No. No more Sanji. I appreciate your help but I'll make what I want."

Sanji's stomach dropped to a dangerously low level and tried his best to have Nami reconsider.

"Nami I'm sure if we try again we can make note of your technique and tweak the recipe to match it. Its not that hard if we-"

"No! I'm not doing it. I'm the one who decided to do it anyways so I'll do it my way." she huffed.

"Nami, Val has years of experience on her side. She's good but she lacks a lot of knowledge and technique for originality. Everything she knows is based off of what she's shadowed. If anything you guys may be equals so-"

"Sanji, please. Just stop. This is my fight. Though it would have been better if I met her in the back alleyway of some scummy part of the city and settled the fight there. That doesn't matter now. Just, stop hovering. I have a good idea on what I'm going to make. I'll be fine."

"For all three courses? Appetizer, main course, and dessert?"

"Yes." she huffed in annoyance.

"What about the theme? What you wear affects your total score."

"Sanji, trust me! I know what to wear. I know what I'm doing. Why can't you believe in me?"

"I'm just worried."

"Of what? Its not like she gets to marry you if she wins. She just gets bragging rights I'm just doing this to shut her up. Even if she wins she can gloat all she likes but in the end, you're mine so-"

As Nami turned to look into Sanji's eye, Nami saw something she wish she hadn't. Sanji wore the most guilty, painfully apologetic expression on his face and Nami instinctively knew just what that meant.

"Sanji!?" she screamed. "Are you serious?! Again!? Why don't you tell me these things!? Are you serious!?"

Nami shook her head in disbelief. Her face held an incredulous expression as she scowled in Sanji's direction.

"I can't believe you Sanji!"

"Nami, I kept protesting for that reason. If you-"

"No! You didn't tell me that from the start! Like you usually do! How the hell was I supposed to know losing meant giving your sorry ass to Val!? You somewhat ignored me at dinner, and then you called me a damn weather girl! Do you know how embarrassing and insulting that was for me?! It was hard enough trying to behave perfectly in front of your father because I made a bad first impression on him but you made me cause a scene to top off the scenes you caused! Sanji! I swear to god I am so pissed right now!"

Nami felt her heart rate pick up and her breathing increased. Her palms grew sweaty and the room felt as if it were closing in. This was the first panic attack in a long time. The first time she ever had one was shortly after the death of her mother and her sister. Nami didn't know what do to after the funeral. The bills were sure to pile up and she needed to get a job fast and sell as much as she could to make ends meet. She was being thrown into the world of adults right there and then. That should have been the first and last time she had a panic attack but today proved to be different.

"Nami, breathe." Sanji said worriedly, and came to her side. He rubbed his hand against her back in soothing circles as she inhaled deeply and gasped for air.

"…you…do not…get to decide…what I make…" she growled between her gasps and pants.

"Nami we'll worry about that later. Just focus on breathing." Sanji lectured, and briefly left her side to grab a paper bag from one of the drawers in the kitchen.

As he brought it close to Nami, he watched as the bag inflated and deflated against her face and continued to rub soothing circles against her back. This was the first time he had ever seen Nami go into a hyperventilation mode and knew he screwed up completely. This was the angriest he had ever seen her and listening to her words stung. He embarrassed and insulted her when he thought he was protecting her. She must have felt as if she were backed into a corner because she was clearly snipping and snapping her teeth like a wounded tiger. She was scared and didn't want to show it.

As Nami finally calmed her breathing down, she removed the paper bag from her face and glared towards Sanij.

"You. I swear to god Sanji, when this is all over, I am branding your ass as my property!" she growled and stormed towards the couch where Sanji's cell phone rested.

"Nami what are you doing?"

Nami scrolled within the contacts of Sanji's phone and pointed dagger-like glares his way upon seeing Val's name within the contacts list. She pressed Val's name, and pressed call, and held his phone close to her ear.

"_Oh Sanji my love, what a surprise! Have you finally come to your senses and decided to dump the frump?"_

"This _is_ the frump. I am too busy to play with children on Christmas Eve so we're changing the challenge date to New Year's Eve."

"_Really?" _Val said, sounding sly and mischievous. _"Ok, I accept. I'll arrange for the challenge to be at All Blue. I'm sure you wouldn't mind if there was an audience. I mean, I'm busy too you know. Its a party with the staff from All Blue, Sanji's loved ones, including Zeff and some very important public figures. It'll be your big debut frumpy."_

"Bring it. Just remember, you'll be scarred for the rest of your life."

"_Hah! This is rich! What a way to end the year and start the next."_

"You know it. With Sanji staying by my side for the ending of this year, the beginning of next year, and never leaving me the years to come."

Before Val could have the last say in that phone call, Nami ended it, and turned off Sanji's phone. She then proceeded to unplug the house phone and glared to Sanji again.

"You are so lucky right now Sanji." Nami hissed. "I wouldn't do this if I didn't care. You owe me so much right now!"

And with that, Nami stormed into the room and slammed the door in tow.

* * *

**December 1 11:45 am**

The semester had ended and winter vacation had been hanging around. Nami still worked at Galley-LA but found her days long and boring. No one sought much business around this time. There were the occasional appointments and requests for yachts as Christmas presents and Nami had to wonder about the clientele. It was obvious they were rich, but were they all as arrogant and annoying as Val? Did money really impress people? Nami felt something foreboding fly around in her stomach and wondered about her challenge. Would Val cheat? Would she use money to pay off the judges? Sanji, Zeff, and Val's father were there to sit and taste the meals with the judges but they had no say in the scoring. It did seem fair that Zeff suggested they use random staff members from All Blue and from Val's restaurant to even out the scoring but knowing Val, she probably would bitch and complain and use as much money as she could to persuade the scores in her favor. No. Nami would need reassurance that this was going to be a fair challenge and knew she would have to talk to Sanji about it later.

Deciding not to bother thinking about the countermeasures right now, Nami suspiciously pulled from a binder that didn't belong on her desk and religiously reviewed its contents. Her eyes never left the pages and her fingers carefully trailed over the worn, tired edges. She couldn't afford to look away but there was an incoming call ringing against her desk. Nami groaned silently to herself as she rolled away from the binder and to her computer, and pressed along the head set she wore to answer the incoming call.

"Galley-LA reception station. This is Nami speaking. How may I help you today?" she quoted. Nami knew those lines by heart and said them in the same, cheerful fashion she always did.

"Yes sir, you can stop by any time before nine this evening. If there is anything else you need please feel free to contact this number and someone will be here to assist you."

Before Nami could finish off her call with her signature, "have a nice day" routine line, the man on the other end hung up abruptly, leaving Nami to feel sour. No one was around so she could afford the crummy mood and sour expression, that is, until she spun her chair and saw Kalifa, reading through the binder Nami had opened earlier.

"Hmm. So this is what you're making?" Kalifa asked, and rolled the other desk chair beneath her as she gracefully sat.

"Kalifa, I thought you were off today." Nami croaked and tried to grab for the binder.

Kalifa gently slapped Nami's hands away and pulled the binder closer to her. "What are you doing about your theme?"

"Kalifa, please give it back."

"Tell me about your theme." she urged.

"Wait…are you talking about-"

"Yes, your challenge. I didn't think you were so bold to challenge Val on an important evening."

"I didn't. I had plans the day she wanted the original challenge and when I suggested another day she bragged about an audience. Please tell me you're not in the audience." Nami griped.

"I am. I heard from an Associate of mine that there was going to be a challenge shortly after the main festivities. It wasn't until I met with Sanji for another business meeting that he confirmed the details."

Nami groaned and dropped her face onto her desk.

"This is so stupid. Sanji didn't tell me there were high risks involve."

"Tell me about the theme." Kalifa pressed.

"Why are you so adamant about knowing the theme?" Nami whined.

"The theme can make or break you once the challenge starts. You're lucky that you're not given a time limit on making your dishes but you need to plan everything out carefully. What is your theme?"

"Val chose it…" Nami uttered.

"And what it is?"

"…A type of wife…" Nami grumbled.

"…Excuse me?" Kalifa questioned. "What type of wife?"

"That's the theme. 'A type of wife'. I'm supposed to stick with an image or idea of a type of wife I think I'd be with Sanji. It seems simple enough but I can't imagine myself being married to Sanji just yet. Our relationship started shortly half a year ago. Its not enough time for me to think about marriage. That's actually the last thing on my mind! I have school to worry about and…Its such a stupid theme!"

Kalifa looked to Nami with a understanding and knowing smile and patted her shoulder.

"I'm sure you'll figure something out. Its not as hard as you think it is."

"Easier said than done. Am I supposed to wear something flashy or fancy? There's a party first and then the challenge is right after that. Should I just wear the clothes for the challenge all night? Ugh! This is so frustrating! Did you know that I'm supposed to make up my own dialogue?! Its supposed to give off that authentic scenario feel. This is stupid and a waste of money!"

"Just do what you've always done. Don't think so hard."

"But I can't help but think hard! Did you know that Sanji is supposed to act along too? Did that jerk inform you on that? I love him but I'm still so pissed at him. He didn't tell me losing meant really losing him. I have to think of every different scenario and conversation that could pop up. This is so damn stupid!"

"What do you mean by 'acting along'?"

Nami looked to Kalifa incredulously before sighing and answering her question with a thoughtful expression.

"Its almost like a game show. Sanji is going to be told at random moments to approach me or Val and see how our theme pans out for the better or for the worse. There isn't a right or wrong answer but if it doesn't feel right with the judges then the scoring could end up low."

Kalifa finally shared the look of confusion and disbelief with Nami.

"Are you serious?"

"If I wasn't, I'd be laughing right about now."

"That is ridiculous. You can't portray your love like that to an open audience. It wouldn't feel right and it most certainly would not look natural."

"I told you its stupid." Nami moaned.

Kalifa looked away from Nami and towards the main entrance and looked to Nami once more.

"Speaking of stupid. Boyfriend alert. Twelve o' clock."

Nami looked up to see Sanji walking straight for her desk and it looked like he brought some sort of peace offering. As he reached her and Kalifa, Kalifa smiled brightly and stood to greet him.

"Why hello stupi- I mean Sanji. We were just talking about you."

* * *

**December 22 **

The remainder of December felt as if nothing bad had happened between the two. They acted like they usually did around one another in a flirty, friendly, or loving manner. Anything that dealt with the challenge was a taboo topic and Sanji had learned that the hard way. They took more pictures with each passing day and burned copies of the old and new images of them into Cds, flashdrives, computers and laptops, and cell phones. Neither one had to say anything. It was obvious that the uncertainty of Nami's challenge hung in the air. These pictures and Cds were more of a reminder that what they had, and still do have as of now, is real. It was a little sad, preparing memories for the worst case scenario, but its not like it wasn't treasured either. Each day together seemed more and more precious and it seemed to have brought them closer together both emotionally and sexually.

* * *

**December 24 7:12 pm**

Festivities were lively at Law's apartment. A Christmas party to celebrate as friends, a secret santa exchange, and most of all, Chopper's Birthday. Everyone decided to throw their youngest member the biggest, most liveliest party they could and tripled the presents for him. Normally, one would receive one gift per person on their birthday, but today was a special occasion. Chopper had finally turned eighteen. The youngest was now an adult and the celebration and the overload gifts were his right of passage.

"So Chopper, how does it feel to finally be legal for alcohol?!" Ussop thundered in joy.

"It doesn't feel any different." Chopper said sheepishly as he eyed the mixed drink that was before him.

"Don't say that until you've actually tasted alcohol." Zoro grunted and drank from his bottled beer. Robin had her fingers interlaced with his free hand as she enjoyed a sparkling apple cider that Nami and Law were considerate enough to provide.

"But I-" Chopper started but was cut off from the excitement of his friends.

"Yohohoho you'll never get anywhere with that attitude!" Brook cheered.

"Brook is right. It would be SUPER if you gave it a chance." Franky commented.

"Chopper, we're not telling you to get drunk and we're not telling you pick up drinking. Just give it a taste at least. If you don't like it, then you don't like it." Robin soothed.

"That doesn't mean we're not going to keep making drinks until you find something you like." Nami half-joked. "You might really like what Sanji made for you. Its sweet like candy. It should be perfect for you." Nami encouraged.

"I don't know…it looks questionable to me…" Chopper said hesitantly. "What is it?"

"Its called a jolly roger. I made this especially for you. There's no way you can't like it." Sanji intervened.

Chopper gave his cold, bright red beverage a light sniff before licking his lips a little.

"It smells like cherries." Chopper beamed.

"Don't drink in all in one go." Law advised as he brought more food from his kitchen. "Take sips. You're probably the easiest one to get drunk."

"Let the _man_ do what he wants." Zoro snorted from his seat.

"That's right! Chopper is a man now!" Luffy cheered as he stole a handful of Christmas cookies from Hancock's plate.

"Love, if you wanted more food you I would have gladly given it to you." Hancock cooed.

As Law took his seat between Nami and Chopper, Nami leaned into Law and whispered into his ear.

"Tell me again why she's here?" she asked inconspicuously.

"Its fine. She's harmless. Luffy seems to mellow her out. Besides, she's been behaving herself ever since December rolled around."

"Why?" Nami asked with curiosity.

"It should be obvious Nami. Look carefully."

Nami turned her gaze to Hancock and watched as she spoiled Luffy, but also turned away to check on her lispstick in her compact mirror. She then turned to Luffy and puckered her lips slightly as she waited for Luffy to give her attention. Nami laughed to herself and looked to Law who only nodded in agreement. Hancock was desperate for a kiss, but not just any kiss. Luffy's kiss. But that seemed odd. Weren't they intimate already?

"She's…very odd." Nami joked.

"Indeed she is."

"I don't see why she'd be desperate for a kiss. I mean, they already go at it like bunnies on crack." Nami whispered.

Law slightly choked on his beer and laughed at Nami's metaphor.

"I don't think, I'm drunk enough to laugh at a lame joke like that." he chuckled.

"Call it lame again and you certainly will not get your kiss tonight." Nami threatened. Robin and Nami had planned for something special for Law tonight and that involved a kiss from Chopper. So far things weren't working in their favor but they were definitely going to turn it around later.

"Kiss?" Sanji interrupted with a suspicious look.

"I said 'miss' Sanji. 'Miss'. I was just telling Law that he was missing a mistletoe." Nami corrected, and stood to get a refill of her mixed drink. Sanji tagged along and refreshed his as well. There was so much sexual tension between the two that it felt like anything could transpire tonight.

"Oh! I have one!" Ussop chirped as he pulled an odd looking metallic robot from his bag with a mistletoe attached to its head. It looked rather odd but cute at the same time. It reminded Nami of those guys who always get friend zoned and want to change things around. So at Christmas, they wear a head band on their head with a stick attached and a mistletoe hanging form that stick. This little contraption, was definitely a friend zoned robot.

"Check it out! Franky and I made this in class last week and-"

"What the hell are you guys learning?!" Nami, Sanji, Law, and Zoro screeched.

"A robot!" Chopper squealed and bounced in his seat. "What can it do?! Are there lasers?! Does it talk?! I wanna know!"

"This is SUPER HELPER ONE!" Franky thundered in excitement. "It can follow simple retrieve and deliver requests and perform simple commands. Because we made him from low quality parts, he can't carry anything heavier than ten pounds."

Everyone eyed the little, silver, oval contraption with awe and made note of the wheels that had begun to reveal themselves from little automatic doors towards the base.

"Can it cook meat?!" Luffy beamed.

"I don't think it can Luffy." Brook consoled as Luffy's excited expression reduced itself to a sad look.

"Ok." Ussop sang as he pressed on a small remote. "Super Helper, please clean the mess straight ahead of you."

The little robot lit itself with little blue lights and proceeded straight towards Luffy, who was covered in cookie crumbs. As it reached it's destination, it pulled out a miniature vacuum that was stored within its body. A arm then appeared from a small automatic door and Super Helper soon impressed everyone as it dragged the vacuumed across Luffy's shirt, his lap, and the floor beneath him. It was such a sight to behold.

"You guys made something pretty impressive." Law said with a nod.

"That's not all it can do. Super Helper, please analyze what it attached to your head."

The little robot bleeped and beeped as a little blue light shined from its center, and scanned the mistletoe attached to it.

"Scanning…scanning…item recognized. Mistletoe recognized. A leathery-leaved parasitic plant that grows on apple, oak, and other broad-leaf trees and bears white glutinous berries in winter."

"It talks!" Luffy and Chopper wailed in excitement.

"Well that just takes the romance out of a kiss. Nothing says romance during the holidays than having a parasitic plant hovering above you." Sanji joked.

Nami elbowed Sanji and laughed softy against him. "That's something I'd say. Pull out the 'festive Sanji' so I can say my lines."

"Festive? I'm already festive." he said curiously before flashing her a sly smile. Sanji wrapped his arms around Nami's waist and whispered dangerously low into her ear. "If you want festive, then I can give you festive."

Nami caught the tone and shot him a huffy look and turned to whisper in his ear.

"No." she whispered firmly.

"Why not?" He said smoothly and rubbed his smooth, freshly shaven chin against her bare shoulder.

"This is Law's place." she hissed.

"Doesn't mean we can't hide." he said mischievously.

How was it, that Sanji was able to turn Nami into putty? How was it, that such a bad idea as this, could seem so right? Nami's shuddered from the possibilities of how hot it could get and looked to him and bit her lower lip; thinking.

"We can't. Not here."

"But you're so sexy in that dress." he said, and secretly kissed her neck.

Nami laughed softly and shyly looked to him with a smile. She moved her hands to feel along the smooth fabric of his suit jacket and dragged her fingers along the inside of his navy blue, button up shirt. "No." she said slyly.

"Why?" he asked with a sly grin and lust filled eyes.

"This is Chopper's birthday and its Christmas Eve." she chided.

"All the better to do it." he hummed.

"We can do it later when we get home."

Sanji glided his hands along her waist and onto her shoulders, sneaking a small kiss against her ear. The distraction from Ussop and Franky, showing off their robot, was probably the best thing since sliced bread. It gave Sanji and Nami the time they needed to flirt so openly in public.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing… Yet." he said smoothly.

Nami soon felt his hands lower themselves from her shoulder and slowly tugged the Zipper from the back of her dress, causing her to gasp in surprise and flash a dark glare to Sanji.

"Stop that." she hissed quietly and felt Sanji nip against her neck lightly.

"We'll be quick. No one will even notice."

"And if they notice?"

"Not our problem." he said with a shrug.

"You're really pushy tonight. Can't you wait?"

"No." he cooed.

"Why not?"

"You have no idea how amazingly beautiful and sexy you look."

Nami could feel his warm, breath tickle against her skin and smiled inwardly to herself. She had to admit, a quickie at a gathering… there was something sexy about the idea. There was that feeling of thrill that you could get caught and there was the sexual high one could get off from it.

Nami groaned inwardly at the reasons why she couldn't do it. They were at Law's house. The idea of having a quickie there didn't seem right. He let her and Robin stay there when they had no place to go. She still had yet to return the favor and having sex with Sanji somewhere in there definitely wasn't repaying her debt. Another reason was at how dangerously fun it sounded and how tempted she felt like doing it. It was as if, her and Sanji's moral judgment had slipped through the cracks and they were looking for something spicy tonight.

Sanji placed his hands on her hips again and slowly, tugged her backwards into the hall.

"Someone will find out. What if we get caught during?"

"We're not going to get caught."

Nami's stance on not wanting to have a quickie was now quickly vanishing as Sanji pressed his whole back to her and licked a small, sensual circle onto her neck. Nami couldn't take it any longer. Sanji was the one who started this and Nami desperately wanted to finish it.

"Not here." she whispered sharply.

Without further adieu, Sanji quickly pulled Nami completely into the hallway and tugged on her hand as they fast-walked down to the restroom below the stair case. Once they were at the restroom's door, Sanji pulled her into it and locked the door as quick as he could and pressed her against the sink's counter. Sanji kissed her wildly all around her neck and pushed the straps of her dress down enough to lick along her shoulders. Nami's heart hammered, almost feeling like it was about to jump out of her throat. There was a mix of fear and excitement that she expected to happen.

Sanji dipped the top of her dress forward, still unzipped in the back, and left agonizing kisses along her breast while rubbing his fingers slowly between her legs. He loved hearing each pant she let out and her muffled groans between breaths. Moving his lips up towards her neck again, he slipped his fingers inside her panties and brushed against her slick desire.

"Sa-nji!" she gasped desperately. His fingers felt too much like magic against her and she was more than ready to go over the edge and hit her release.

Nami's hands gripped his jacket tightly and her knees buckled as he quickly increased his strokes against her until a release crashed over her. Pressing her lips together, she tried not to cry out from the overwhelming feeling, but couldn't completely stop herself from letting out continuous panting and quiet moans. Her fingers relaxed on his jacket as he pulled away for a moment to grab his wallet from his back pocket. After he pulled out the protection he had tucked away inside, he tossed his wallet onto a shelf and made a mental note to not forget it later. Dropping his pants just low enough, he prepared himself and then pulled her panties quickly down her legs until they dropped to her ankles. Lifting the bottom hem of her dress, he pressed his length into her slowly until he was fully within her and then lifted her onto the counter. Nami slid one foot out from her panty and wrapped her legs around him as he slowly started to move inside her. Whatever reservations Nami had earlier for doing the deed at a friend's birthday were now gone and replaced with the primal, sexy connection they were having right now. Nothing else mattered.

Inaudible murmurs, chaste kisses, and the mix of electrifying hard and soft touches of skin against skin was all that they heard or felt. It was quick and very powerful. The envelopment of all of their senses between them completely drowned out the sounds of their friends laughing and cheering from a room that wasn't too far from where they were. It gave them a boost of excitement as they proceeded with their actions.

Sanji hoisted her up more, making her raised legs buckle a bit. She tried her best to hold on as he rolled his hips into hers. She lifted herself, meeting into each thrust and panting beyond compare in the restroom. The echoes of her pants drove Sanji over the wall as he pumped harder and faster into her and joined her in a sweet release. He pressed his mouth against her neck and moaned her name against her at the very top of his peak. He pulled out from her slowly, and both felt as if they could go again but couldn't.

Sanji helped Nami from the counter and her heels gently touched the ground again as they panted contently. Their eyes were still locked into one another. Nami let a small smile play against her lips and Sanji returned her smile with a wide grin. He noticed the way her legs shook and smiled even more. Nami giggled a little and slapped his chest playfully and pointed to her panty that was wrapped around her ankle. Neither of them needed to say anything. Sanji bent down and helped her pull it up.

"That was…" she panted.

"Yeah…"

"And it was.."

"Yeah…"

"This is a secret…" she giggled.

"Yeah." he chuckled.

"To the grave." she giggled again.

"Yes."

Both Nami and Sanji frantically fixed themselves up, returning their appearances to their formal glory and secretly snuck back to the crowd. Surprisingly, no one noticed they were gone. Instead, everything still seemed to revolve around the little robot and its continuous demonstration. By this time, Franky gave it a command to stand by Hancock and Luffy, the couple closest to its little robotic self, and let it scan them before proceeding with its next command.

"Alright, SUPER santa romance, activate." Franky hollered.

Super Helper scanned Luffy and Hancock once more before popping out a little propeller and launched itself to hover over them. It's mistletoe still clung to its head band left the group awe struck as Frankly laughed and Ussop nodded to himself for such an amazing feature.

Luffy gazed into Hancock's eyes, unsure of what the mistletoe was supposed to do and Hancock sat there with anticipation pulling onto her every being. This was what she was waiting for. This is what she wanted from Luffy ever since December arrived. One of the most romantic gestures he would do on his own aside from Valentines Day. But Luffy wasn't getting the message. He continued to look to her and then up the mistletoe like it were something as complicated as rocket science. Luffy finally set on looking at Hancock before asking something very stupid.

"What's the piece of grass for?"

"Luffy!" everyone shouted in disbelief. It was so obvious the woman was waiting for a kiss and the clear look of shock on her face said she was heart broken.

"I'll fix this." Ussop sniggered. "Assisted SUPER santa romance, activate." Ussop commanded.

Two long, metallic arms sprung from little side doors on the robot's body and pressed against the back of Luffy and Hancock's head and abruptly pushed the two into one another. Their lips crashed and with shock, Hancock swung her arm and splashed her drink onto Super Helper. Super Helper's hold against the two released and seemed to short circuit, letting the sounds of electricity zip and zap from within.

"Oh no! Did I break him?" Hancock asked with worry.

"I don't know." Franky said curiously as he observed Super Helper continue to hover with steady propellers. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary until the blue hue of light on Super Helper turned red. Everyone watched as Super Helper sparked where it hovered and had begun to fly around the room sporadically.

"Attention. Attention. Secret Santa, Santa, Santa, overload, mistletoe, mistle-mistle-mi-mi-mistle assistance, ro-ro-ro-roma-SUPER-SU-SU-"

"It blew a fuse!" Ussop screeched as he tried to jump and catch it.

"Yohohoho what a mess we have!" Brook laughed and tried to catch it as well.

Zoro stood from his seat and grabbed at a lamp that was nearby, ready to swing it as a bat were to hit a baseball.

"Why does everyone try to break my things?" Law grunted in irritation as he remained in his seat.

"Don't hit it! That's SUPER HELPER for crying out loud!" Franky shouted and tackled Zoro.

The lamp had miraculously landed back onto the side table and wobbled in its sport before Robin gently placed a hand on it to steady its post.

The room was in chaos, chasing Super Helper, ducking from Super Helper, and blaming one another for the mishap and the creation of it. But something so shocking happened that changed everything. Super Helper flew to the center of the room and scanned everyone one with a red beam, analyzing everyone in the room. In a swift motion, Super Helper flew towards Law and Chopper and delivered its Super Santa Romance.

"…"

Everyone in the room stared in shock at the sight they had just witnessed. Super Helper malfunctioned to the point of no repair. Super Helper had smashed Law and Chopper, into a hard kiss. No one moved. No one even breathed. It was truly a shock worthy moment. Chopper and Law had both stared into each others eyes widely and never looked away as their lips continued to be forcefully pressed against one another.

* * *

**Author's Note: Sooooo sorry! Its been forever since I've updated! School was a bitch but I passed with straight A's. That will keep my family off of my back. Then the holidays are forcing me to go out and shop when i just want to stay home and laze around writing fanfics. I caught the flu too and couldn't do anything. Now that everything is done (school and christmas shopping and parties), and my flu is gone, I can finally get back to writing. No i didn't give up on this fanfic. I was forced to go on hiatus.**

I'm so sorry to those who were following this. I'll promise to be more punctual with this.

**Thanks again for reading and supporting my fics.**

**-Rusala  
**


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